FoxFang: Big Dip
by Looneyman
Summary: Two Foxes and an Ox. Both after the same villian for different reasons. But there are some complications. No flames please.
1. Anniversary

A/N: The wait is over. Jessica and Zach's next adventure is finally here. It will be an epic, possibly my most epic FoxFang so far. It takes place after my co-written story with Nightw2, which is still in progress. I don't know when that will be ready for publishing.

Disclaimer: You all know the score by now, but if I don't put this, I could get into some legal trouble. I don't own Looney Tunes, Tiny toons or anything else owned by Warner Brothers. I also don't own any other characters/objects that may appear either. This fic is being written with absolutely no profit motive. However, I do own some of the characters (You'll know who)

**Anniversary**

The school term had just finished at the looniversity so everyone could relax during the summer period. For Jessica and Zach though, there was no rest. They were still being kept fairly busy with their Vigilante duties for the city. FoxFang and Cub were now honorary deputies of the city, making their job much easier. The chief of police who had hated FoxFang and Cub had found it hard to accept the fact that the police were working with them and resigned his position. Eric and Lucy had taken over the chief of police job, working together to run the police force. Jessica had also gotten used to the idea that they were working with the police. At first, she was very nervous but now accepted the idea well. The police had gotten into a habit of saluting FoxFang and Cub as they were leaving a scene after taking down some criminals. All of the higher-ranking officers in the police force had been given a communicator to keep in touch with FoxFang and Cub. FoxFang and Cub's own Fangwaves had been upgraded so they included a voice changer. This meant that Jessica and Zach could talk to the police during daytime if necessary without fear of their identities being blown. The police were currently building an emergency light on top of the police building. The light was going to shine the FoxFang logo into the sky to alert FoxFang and Cub if they were needed, but it was only intended for emergency use. Although they were working with the police, they still kept their identities a secret for security reasons, something that the police accepted happily. Up till now, the police hadn't needed to contact FoxFang or Cub during the daytime. Bugs and Lola had been excellent in supporting Jessica and Zach in their duties. Now that they knew Jessica's identity, she could head to the Foxcave earlier than normal, although Daffy and Melissa didn't know yet. Bugs and Lola had advised Zach not to let them in on the identity, mainly because of Daffy's big mouth. There was no guarantee that Daffy would be able to keep the secret; Melissa could be trusted perfectly. Bugs and Lola had been given access to the Foxcave with a secret tunnel that led right under their room, built by Egghead Jr. They only came to the Foxcave occasionally or if they were needed. This had happened when they had to end a car chase. Egghead Jr. would predict where the car drivers were going to go so Bugs and Lola could tell FoxFang and Cub. This allowed them to set up highly successful ambushes. Egghead Jr. had also finished construction of the Hoverfox. It was a hovercraft that used a similar engine to the Fangmobile, but it was faster than the fastest speedboats. It was very well protected just in case they bumped into things while it was being used. It was also incredibly easy to steer, having the ease of the Fangmobile. It was equipped with the same equipment that the Fangmobile and the Foxbikes were equipped with. It also had a grappling hook on the underside. The reason for this was to salvage anything that thieves may have decided to dump in the river that had been found under the city a while back. This had happened a couple of times, when illegal drug dealers had tried to dump the evidence in the river, which was fairly deep. FoxFang and Cub would still apprehend the criminals and use the grappling hook to recover the drugs as evidence. The Hoverfox had the same colouring as the Foxbikes and the Fangmobile. The colour code was now instantly recognisable by everybody. The sight of any of the vehicles was enough to send shivers down the spines of all criminals. Oddly enough, they weren't very well known outside the city. Most of the criminals that had been captured recently were criminals that had just moved into the city to continue their work, not knowing about FoxFang and Cub. There were a few street gangs around, but very little was seen of them. The FoxFang and Cub outfits had been given tiny recording equipment built into the gloves. They could record discussions between criminals and give it to the police as evidence. This had been used recently when FoxFang and Cub were tailing a gang of shoplifters. They had taken gadgets from the ACME superstore. After tailing them to their hideout, FoxFang and Cub began to overhear a discussion between a couple of the thieves. They were talking about how they were going to combine the gadgets and bring the city to its knees. The whole discussion was recorded before FoxFang and Cub took the criminals down. When the police arrived, FoxFang and Cub began asking them about their plan. When they began to deny it, Cub played the recording back, so it couldn't be denied. The group was new into town and were planning to take complete control of the town. The FoxEye, which had been in development for some time now, had also been finished. The remote-controlled Fangmerang was often used for scouting known gangster houses to scout for danger. FoxFang and Cub both had one each. The touch screen on the Fangwaves controlled it. The screen also showed what the FoxEye was seeing. As far as personal conditions went nothing could be better. Jessica and Zach were more in love than ever. When there were Looney tune gatherings, they were not seen apart. They also had time to themselves on quiet nights, when nothing was happening. Bugs and Lola often wondered how much further their relationship would go. Every day, their feelings seemed to get stronger towards each other. Their love for each other only made them fight even harder, as they would protect each other. Jessica was now getting a little concerned about her mother, as Lola was now 6 months pregnant. She knew that her mother was going to have a change in personality from now on. Melissa's egg had recently hatched as well. They now had a young female duckling amongst the household, who had been called Rose. This made things a little complicated for Zach, but he was happy that the duckling was healthy. The situation did have one thing that worked to Zach's favour though. Daffy and Melissa were constantly busy looking after both him and Rose. As a result, they went to bed earlier than they did before. This allowed Zach to get to the Foxcave earlier. As a result, both FoxFang and Cub were seen around the city earlier than people would expect them. While they weren't in the Foxcave, Plucky and Shirley were arranging their wedding. They became engaged at the end of the second Pranker incident. Pranker had been sentenced to 20 years in a corrective institute located on the edge of the city. FoxFang and Cub took no chances. They periodically checked the institute with the computer to ensure that she was still there.

* * *

It was a Monday night, at about 11:55 pm. FoxFang and Cub were just returning from stopping a shop break in. A group of criminals had broken into the main supermarket in town. They were trying to gain access to the safe in the manager's office when FoxFang and Cub had arrived. The group were new in town and didn't know of FoxFang and Cub. As a result, the resulting fight didn't last long. FoxFang, Cub and King knocked out the criminals quickly and waited until the police arrived. When they returned to the Foxcave, they were a little surprised to see Bugs Bunny waiting for them. He was holding a couple of glasses with carrot juice. Jessica had taken her mask off before she jumped out of the car. Zach had been driving the Fangmobile back. He was surprised to see Bugs as well; they were not expecting him to be in the Foxcave.

"Hi dad." Jessica greeted.

"Hi Jess. Here's some juice." Bugs replied, handing Jessica a glass. Jessica gratefully accepted the glass and had a sip while Bugs gave the other glass to Zach.

"What brings you here?" Zach asked, before taking a sip of his carrot juice.

"Shirley asked us to come. She's been planning something for you."

"She's been planning behind our backs hasn't she?" Jessica asked.

"Well, it was meant to be a surprise."

"I guess. Is mum here as well?"

"Yep. She's at the computer making a few preparations."

"Let's see what's been going on." Zach said. Jessica nodded.

"I'm curious as well. Let's go." Jessica replied.

"I know you'll like it." Bugs added, heading towards the computer. Jessica and Zach were following him, with King behind them. When they reached the computer, they found that a small party set up had been out up. There was a table, chairs, plastic plates, glasses and some napkins. On the table was a cake with a single lit candle. The cake was circular with the FoxFang logo on the top, made out of icing sugar. There was also equipment that would be needed to serve cake. Lola had just finished setting up the table when she noticed Jessica and Zach. Egghead Jr. had come away from the computer and had a box of party poppers in his hands. Plucky and Shirley were holding drink bottles. Plucky had a bottle of Soda while Shirley was holding a bottle of carrot juice.

"Hi Jess." Lola greeted.

"Hi mum." Jessica replied.

"What were you guys doing before we arrived?"

"Sorting out some guys who had broken into the superstore."

"You guys have made an effort here." Zach complimented.

"But what is this all for?" Jessica asked.

"Jess, do you remember what day it is?" Bugs asked.

"Not completely."

"Jess, this was the day, one year ago…" Plucky began before Jessica clicked at what was going on.

"Of course. This time last year, I was saving you two from those kidnappers."

"Exactly." Bugs replied.

"We all thought we'd come by to celebrate a year of FoxFang." Lola added.

"Well, we'd better do something to celebrate the day that Zach became Cub though." Jessica said.

"Of course." Shirley replied.

"At least we get to eat cake." Zach said.

"What type of cake is it?" Jessica asked.

"What else, carrot cake." Lola replied.

"Our favourite!" Jessica and Zach exclaimed at exactly the same time. Everyone else just started laughing. When Jessica and Zach realised, they began laughing as well. When they finally stopped, Shirley and Bugs began pouring everyone some drinks while Lola began slicing up the cake for everyone. Shirley poured three glasses of soda for herself, Plucky and Egghead Jr. while Bugs poured four glasses of carrot juice for himself, Lola, Jessica and Zach. Lola gave everyone a slice of cake while Bugs and Shirley gave everyone their respective drinks. Jessica was the first to propose a toast at the event.

"A toast. 1 year of FoxFang." Jessica said, raising her glass. Everyone else raised their glasses a moment after.

"1 year of FoxFang!" Everyone that could said. They clinked their glasses together and then took a sip of their drinks.

* * *

After an hour, Bugs and Lola were falling asleep. They weren't as used to staying up late as the others were. The cake had been finished and everybody was sitting in a circle. Jessica was noticing how tired her parents were getting. It was 12:55 so they should be getting back. She went over to her parents and shook them on the shoulder to wake them up. They opened their eyes groggily and looked at their daughter.

"Mum, Dad, maybe you two should head to bed." Jessica said. Bugs yawned and nodded.

"We're not as used to staying up late as you two are." Bugs replied.

"I realise that."

"Before we go, when did you and Zach start dating?"

"It will be one year tomorrow." Zach replied.

"You guys started dating right after the incident?"

"We kept it secret out of fear of embarrassment."

"Understandable. But it's a bit unfortunate that your anniversary clashes with the auction tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Zach asked

"I'm going to some kind or massive auction." Jessica replied

"We're the guests of honour." Bugs asked.

"Hope you enjoy it." Zach said

"Do you think you'll be going?"

"I know Daffy would like to, but I think looking after Rose is going to be higher priority."

"Ok. I'll be thinking of you." Jessica said

"Perhaps we could do something tomorrow during the day." Bugs suggested.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'll sleep on it."

"But try not to make it too embarrassing." Zach said. Everybody laughed, though Lola had fallen asleep and had missed everything.

"Anyway, We'll head back home then." Bugs shook Lola again to make sure that she was awake.

"Come on Lo, we're going back home." Bugs said. Lola looked up and smiled.

"Ok then." Lola replied with a yawn. Bugs helped her to her feet.

"We'll see you when we wake up Jess."

"See you dad, see you mum." Jessica replied. Bugs and Lola walked away from the area and began to head down their path back to their house. This left the usual cliché in the Foxcave. Zach held onto Jessica's hand and turned her to face him.

"It' s hard to believe that you've been doing this for a year now." Zach said.

"I know. I still remember when I first found the outfit." Jessica replied.

"What was it like when you first put it on?"

"It was very strange, but I did get used to it eventually."

"And now we're probably the most feared people in the city."

"But not in our normal guise." Jessica and Zach just laughed at the thought. Jessica then looked up at the computer in the Foxcave.

"This little thing has developed so much in the year. We can do so much now." Jessica said.

"Jess, there's bound to be more that we can do." Zach replied.

"I know. But there is one thing that bothers me."

"What?"

"While we're doing this with good intentions, we're developing many enemies. We may develop even more."

"But we have also developed allies. Think OxHorn."

"Speaking of him, I haven't heard from him recently."

"I wonder if he's given up being a vigilante."

"He might've done."

"We'll find out one day."

"Yeah, we'll find out." The two began to hug each other tightly, just as they always did. Being FoxFang for 1 year had certainly changed Jessica's character. She was now much more independent and dependable than she was. Zach had changed like this as well. It was as if they were both maturing at the same time. They both felt that there would come a time when they would be able to hang up their uniforms for good, but that was a way off. They had to fight to keep the city safe, as well as the ones they loved. That included each other. The two leaned forward and kissed tenderly. They hugged each other tightly to intensify the feeling. The kiss lasted for five minutes; it would've lasted a lot longer if the Fangwave hadn't sounded. They released the kiss, sighed and looked at the computer.

"A bank robbery. Boring." Jessica muttered.

"We'll continue this later." Zach said.

"Yeah, let's sort these crooks out first."


	2. New cat in town

A/N: I said that there would be some complications in the story. Here's the first. Kind of a Ragdoll spoof.

**New cat in town**

The bank that was being broken into was a small bank near the centre of town. The intruder was a black figure dressed like a cat. The figure had a whip with him, positioned in the suit to look like a cats tail. The figure also had very sharp claws on the end of the hands. There was a mask that covered the eyes completely with black, like the villain was wearing black sunglasses. The mouth was visible, but there were some very real looking false teeth. The teeth looked like those in a cat. The figure was busy picking at the lock of a small draw with the claws on the hands. After a moment of concentration, the figure was able to pick the lock and open the draw. Inside was a suitcase. The figure then picked the lock on the suitcase and opened it. Inside the suitcase was a large amount of diamonds and jewels.

"Me-wow!" The figure exclaimed. The figure then closed the case and picked it up. The figure then turned to leave but was then confronted by FoxFang and Cub. The two dropped down right in front of the figure, who did a back flip and landed further away from the two. King was next to FoxFang and Cub, growling at the figure.

"You're a new face." Cub stated.

"Soooo, the Foxes do exist, just like I heard." The figure said. The voice sounded feminine so FoxFang and Cub assumed that the figure was female.

"New in town then. Who are you?" FoxFang said. The figure stretched out its hands and revealed the claws. The figure then brought its arms to its body and crossed them over.

"The name's CatClaw." The figure introduced.

"We have one too many masked figures around here."

"I agree whole heartedly fox. You're going to have to go." CatClaw then lunged towards FoxFang and Cub. They just sidestepped and threw Fangdarts towards CatClaw. CatClaw just turned around and swiped at them in the air, knocking them to the ground. CatClaw then swung her arm again and launched her claws towards FoxFang, Cub and King. The three were able to evade by jumping or ducking. New claws then appeared on CatClaw's hands where the old ones were; leaving the ones she had thrown on the ground. CatClaw then raced towards Cub and tried to swipe at him. Cub ducked the swipe and landed a kick into CatClaw's chest, sending CatClaw to the floor. CatClaw pulled the whip like tail from the uniform and began lashing around, catching Cub on the arm. Cub reacted by grabbing the whip and pulling on it. CatClaw was pulled over but didn't let go of the whip. CatClaw suddenly pulled back sharply and yanked the whip out of Cub's hand. CatClaw then lashed her whip straight up and it wrapped around a beam above them. CatClaw used this to swing from side to side like a pendulum. Cub drew a Fangmerang and threw it at the whip, severing it and sending CatClaw back to the floor. CatClaw looked up and glared at Cub.

"You shouldn't have done that foxy." CatClaw said blankly. CatClaw rushed towards Cub and slashed at him. Cub dodged and FoxFang was able to get behind CatClaw and grab the cat. FoxFang then kneed CatClaw in the back. CatClaw reached behind to grab FoxFang's neck and tried to strangle her. Cub reacted by kicking CatClaw in the chest. CatClaw let go of FoxFang and backed away.

"King!" FoxFang shouted. King lunged into action and bit CatClaw's heel. CatClaw shouted in pain but was able to kick King away, but this was the time that FoxFang needed to run up to CatClaw and land a punch to the head. CatClaw was knocked to the floor again but climbed up to his feet again. The fight would've continued if everybody hadn't heard the sound of police sirens. CatClaw used the whip again to grab hold of the part of the whip that was still attached to the beam above. CatClaw then used it to climb up to the top of the beam.

"That was fun. We should do that again sometime." CatClaw said. CatClaw then suddenly jumped through an open skylight and out of view. FoxFang and Cub used their grapple guns to try and follow CatClaw, with FoxFang holding onto King, but when they reached the roof, CatClaw was gone.

"Who was that?" Cub asked.

"Not someone we know, that's for sure. We need to investigate." FoxFang replied.

"At least CatClaw didn't take anything."

"We can take comfort in that." FoxFang and Cub turned towards the doorway to the bank as the police entered the room, with Eric at the front. Cub had picked up one of the claws that CatClaw had thrown at them. Eric approached FoxFang and Cub while the rest of the officers began to search the area.

"Looks like you two had a bit of a rough night tonight." Eric said.

"You could say that." Cub replied.

"What actually happened? We detected that the silent alarm had been triggered. Who was in here?"

"Some kind of Ninja/Cat burglar." FoxFang replied.

"She managed to get away, but left one of her claws behind." Cub added, showing Eric the claw that he had. Eric looked at the item with intrigued. He had never seen such an item in his career.

"Definitely doesn't look like a weapon a ninja would use, but then again, I'm not a ninja expert." Eric said.

"There are others like it around the room. We'll take this one and see what we can find out. You guys can take the others and see what you can find out." FoxFang said.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll be in contact if we find anything out."

"And vice versa. Let's go." Cub picked up King and they both aimed their grapple guns towards the open skylight. Eric gave a salute as the three went back to the roof, climbed into the FoxChopper and went back to the Foxcave.

* * *

After a few minutes, FoxFang and Cub had returned to the Foxcave with King in the Fangmobile. They were a little disappointed that CatClaw had escaped from their grasp but they took some comfort in the fact that CatClaw hadn't been able to get away with anything. They were also trying to figure out who CatClaw was. They assumed, from the tone of CatClaw's voice, that CatClaw was a female. As soon as they returned to the Foxcave, they went over to the main computer. Shirley obviously knew what had happened, as Egghead Jr. was already starting a profile for CatClaw. Jessica and Zach had since taken off the masks and were looking at the profile.

"I figured you'd know of this new feline." Jessica said.

"Obviously." Shirley replied.

"The trouble is we don't know much about CatClaw."

"We're guessing that CatClaw's a female because of the voice tone and movement style, but we're not completely sure." Zach added. Egghead Jr. typed 'unknown, possibly female' under gender in CatClaw's profile. The name CatClaw had already been posted as the title.

"She's completely different from us. She's more like a ninja. A very unusual style." Jessica said.

"And one we haven't come across yet." Zach added.

"We can assume that she'd be a long cat burglar."

"I did get a glimpse of what was in the suitcase she had opened. It was filled with jewels."

"A bit like Miss. Ice in that respect."

"But there are a lot of differences between Miss. Ice and this CatClaw." Plucky protested.

"Thank you Dr. Obvious." Jessica and Zach replied simultaneously and sarcastically.

"I'm just saying."

"Whatever." Jessica muttered.

"We did retrieve one of her claws that she threw at us." Zach added, handing Egghead Jr. the claw that he had kept. Egghead Jr. took the claw and looked at it. Plucky and Shirley also had a look at the item.

"It looks like a variation of knife with the hilt removed and modified to be launched from some sort of spring loaded projectile launcher." Shirley said.

"The way CatClaw was using them though, she reminded me of Wolverine from X-Men." Jessica replied.

"Apart from launching them." Plucky added.

"I say we should leave it as an open case and just gather evidence in our own time on this CatClaw, find out who she is, decide on eligible suspects and solve this case during our own time. If we're able to apprehend her at some point, great." Zach said.

"Ok, we'll do it like that then." Jessica replied.

"But what now?"

"I think we should wait and see if anything else is going to happen tonight. But until we get some action, I'm going to have a little nap." Jessica lay down on the floor and looked up one last time.

"If nothing should happen by 2:00, wake me up so I can head back too my room." Jessica shut her eyes after saying this. She opened them when she felt somebody touch her shoulder. Zach had settled down next to her. Jessica reached her arms out and pulled Zach in closer. She then shu7t her eyes and rested her head on his. Zach cuddled her and closed his eyes as well. Plucky and Shirley just looked at the display.

"It's at time like this that I wish I had a camera." Plucky muttered.

"Perhaps, but I don't think they'd appreciate it too much." Shirley replied.

"It's not like we'd show the picture to anybody."

"Plucky, we both know how violent Jessica can be if she loses her temper. I definitely wouldn't be able to control her if she did. Remember the party when she lost her temper with Buster?" Plucky shuddered at the memory. They both knew that Jessica was restraining herself back then but if she lost it completely, which she nearly did, she would've injured Buster heavily under her own strength. Luckily, there had been no further incidents like that since that original incident. Jessica had suggested letting Buster and Babs in on the secret after that incident but the idea had long since been forgotten by everybody. Shirley suddenly sighed, seemingly for no reason.

"I hope Furball and Rita aren't worried about what I told them." Shirley muttered.

"Huh?" Plucky asked.

"They asked me to tell their fortune earlier. I did, but it didn't seem too good."

"What did you see?"

"I dare not say. I just hope that they'll live through it."

"You could be wrong you know."

"For their sake, I hope I am wrong, but my accuracy rating has increased over the years."

* * *

At about this time, at Furball's house, OxHorn was standing on the roof looking around the immediate area. He didn't appear to be looking for anything in particular, but he was looking around the whole area, almost as if he was waiting for something or somebody to show up at the house. There was a light wind that blew past his outfit. OxHorn looked around again, watching a leaf bowing in the wind. It was very quiet, too quiet for his liking. He had been in training for quite some time now, improving his skills. He had recently had hopes to become more involved with FoxFang and Cub. Something told him that that would never happen, but he still set his sights on getting to be their proper sidekick. But he also thought that it was a silly dream, he did not know why he still pursued it. He hadn't been able to arrest somebody for anything, excluding the times he had helped FoxFang and cub. He was interrupted when a door to the house opened. It was the back door. In defence, OxHorn leapt into the back garden, only to find Rita at the door. Rita had a strange look on her face. It looked like a mixture of anger and concern. Runt was fast asleep next to the door. Ignoring Runt, Rita grabbed OxHorn by the arm and pulled him inside the house.

"Furball, you don't have to be so defensive." Rita said. OxHorn took off his mask and looked at Rita.

"I can't help it. What Shirley said earlier has gotten me worried." Furball replied.

"Furball, you know that Shirley is not completely accurate."

"I know that, but something tells me that she's going to be right this time."

"Furball, you're getting paranoid. Try and forget about it. If it does happen, I'm sure you will be able to defend us." Furball gave a big sigh. Rita was right; he was getting paranoid about what Shirley had told them. He needed to try and forget about it and just hope for the best. He went to Rita and hugged her. Rita hugged him back as tightly as she could. She didn't say it, but she was also worried by what Shirley had told them. She was putting it to the back of her mind and not thinking about it, but it did come back into her head occasionally. Rita eventually pulled out of the hug and looked at Furball.

"Come on, let's go to bed." Rita said.


	3. Another anniversary

**Another anniversary**

The next morning, Jessica was sitting on the couch in the living room. She did have a comic next to her, but she wasn't reading it. She was thinking about several things. The main thing on her mind was CatClaw, who she had battled the previous night. The closest person she had battled to CatClaw was OxHorn, who was no longer a criminal. Even so, CatClaw's style was very different to OxHorn. So far, she was certain that CatClaw was going to stay a criminal, but she wasn't sure. She did think the same about OxHorn, but he ended up turning into a vigilante like her. However, there was some feeling that Jessica had gotten from CatClaw that told her that she wouldn't change. She silently hoped that CatClaw wouldn't attack the auction that was going to happen that evening. She was also anxious about that event. Since they were the guests of honour, she would have to wear a fancy dress again, something that she hated. She had been warned about this for a while now, so she didn't make a fuss. This didn't change the fact that she didn't like the idea though. She was incredibly nervous about the whole thing. She had this gut feeling that something was going to go wrong during the evening. Again, she was hoping that she was going to be wrong, but she knew that she was often right when she had these gut feelings. She was also anxious as to what else was going to happen during the day, as it was the day when she had started going out with Zach one year ago. It had been mentioned to her father the previous night and he said that he'd sleep on a possible activity. Jessica couldn't wait to see what Bugs was going to prepare for them. Obviously, he was going to have to contact Daffy about it. Jessica quickly glanced around the room. There was no sign of movement from her parent's room so she picked up her comic and had a quick read. Her mind went astray again, thinking back to CatClaw. This time, she was thinking of the needle like projectiles that CatClaw was using. She suddenly put her comic down and walked over to the bookcase in the room. On the bottom shelf were numerous comedy books. There were also some Biographies of famous people involved in her father's life, such as Chuck Jones. The book that Jessica wanted was on the shelf above it. It was a fairly large reference book. Jessica grabbed the book, took it back to the sofa and lay down with the book in front of her. The book was called 'The Looney encyclopaedia'. It wasn't that great a book, but it was the only book that was available. Jessica began flicking through the pages trying to find anything on ninjas that could help with the 'CatClaw' case. Sadly, there wasn't enough information to draw any conclusions. She would need to find a book on ninjas in order to find out where CatClaw's style came from. She closed the book and put it back on the shelf where she found it. Her trained hearing then heard some noise coming from her parent's room. It wasn't between her parents, but between her father and somebody else. She stayed away from the doors, putting her curiosity to the back of her mind. Besides, the CatClaw case was more important to her than finding out what her father was doing. She didn't have to wait very long for her father to come out and into the lounge. He had his mobile phone in his hand.

"Morning Dad." Jessica greeted. Bugs saw Jessica and sat down next to her.

"Morning Jess." Bugs greeted.

"Where's mum?"

"She's still waking up." Jessica nodded and looked down at her comic. Bugs put an arm around her and tried to pull her into a hug. Jessica looked up at her father. She was a little surprised, as this behaviour was a little unprovoked. Jessica decided to remain still and listen to her father.

"I'm proud of you Jessica. You have grown up so much over the past year." Bugs said.

"Dad, what is this all about?" Jessica asked.

"I'm just proud of you. That's all."

"Dad, this is sudden. Is there anything wrong?" Jessica was getting very concerned that there was something wrong. She began to squirm and shook free from her father's grip. Bugs then looked at her with a happy look in his eyes.

"Sorry Jess. Was I worrying you?"

"Dad, don't Nixon me. Is there anything wrong?"

"No Jess. I'm just very proud. You've been a hero for a year and had a boyfriend for a year. I have to admit, I never saw this happening when you were born." Jessica just smirked in response to her father's praise. She knew that he was right. A lot had changed in a year. She had gotten used to the fact that her parents knew her secret. Even so, she never expected her father to be proud of her eventually.

"Of Jess, I almost forgot. I was just speaking to Daffy." Bugs suddenly said.

"Yes…" Jessica replied.

"He and Melissa have got to take Rose to the surgery for some vaccinations. They are going to drop Zach here while they do that so you two can have your anniversary together." Jessica suddenly hugged Bugs tightly at this news. She somehow knew that he would sort something out, but she was still overjoyed with the news. Bugs hugged his daughter back. He was glad to be able to make her happy in any way. But he knew that it was going to be a very busy day for everyone. This was mainly because of the auction later on.

"Thank you dad. I knew you would sort something out." Jessica said.

"You don't have to thank me."

"What time is he coming?"

"He'll be here just before lunch. We'll be dropping him off on the way to the auction building."

"So, how long will I have with him?"

"Well, we need to be at the building by 5:30, so we'll leave at about 5:00."

"That's great."

* * *

At about 1:00 that afternoon, Lola was busy in the kitchen making a large salad for lunch. They were having a large lunch, since it was unlikely that they were going to have any food when they arrived at the auction building. Jessica was standing outside the burrow, waiting for Daffy's car to arrive. She had been waiting for about 10 minutes but was remaining patient. Bugs was inside, making a few preparations for the night. The clothes that they were going to wear had already been chosen. Jessica was hoping that nothing would happen during the auction, but there was no guarantee. The event was earlier than the average incidents began though, so it was possible that everything was going to be ok. She wasn't thinking about that too much at the moment, as she was waiting for Zach. She did have a feeling that they would be late, judging on Daffy, but she also had a feeling that they were going to arrive on time. She was listening out for any sign of them while she was looking for them, as she knew that she was more likely to hear them before she saw them. After a couple of minutes of waiting, she did hear a vehicle approaching the burrow. She began to get very excited, though she kept a straight face. She looked at where the sound was coming from and saw Daffy's car approaching the burrow. She stepped back a little to allow room for the car to park. As soon as it pulled up nearby, she went over to the car and waited for one of the doors to open. As one of the doors opened, Rose, who was a small black duckling with a red ribbon on her head, leapt out and landed in Jessica's arms. Jessica was able to catch Rose but made it look like she was struggling, just in case Daffy and Melissa were watching. Jessica looked at Rose in the eye, who was just laughing hysterically at herself. Jessica put Rose on the ground and watched as the young duckling tried to walk back to the car. She nearly reached the car before falling over. She was helped back to her feet by Daffy, who had just climbed out of the car. Daffy then picked his daughter up and held her in his arms.

"Hello Jessica." Daffy greeted.

"Hello Daffy. Where's Zach?" Jessica asked.

"Right here." Another voice replied. Jessica turned to see Zach climbing out of the car. Jessica rushed over to him and hugged him immediately. It was about this time when Bugs looked out of the burrow. He had heard the car pull up and figured that Daffy had arrived. He decided to let Jessica and Zach have their moment and talk to Daffy. He was still holding onto his daughter, and having difficulty in doing to, since she was squirming.

"Hi there Daff." Bugs greeted. Rose stopped squirming when she heard Bugs' voice. She looked over at Bugs with curiosity. Bugs looked back at Rose sweetly. He had a smile on his face and was doing his best not to intimidate her. Rose certainly wasn't showing any signs that she was being intimidated.

"Hello there Rose." Bugs said again. He leaned in close with a cheesy grin on his face to try and make her laugh. Rose responded by biting him on the nose. Daffy flicked Rose on the beak to get her to let go. Bugs backed away while clutching his nose. Rose was just laughing at what she had just done, until her father slapped her on the beak again.

"Rose, no biting." Daffy said sternly.

"It's no worry Daff." Bugs replied. He was still holding his nose, so his voice sounded very weird. Daffy tried to keep a straight face but didn't do so well. Bugs rubbed his nose a little more and then let go of it. Daffy was already heading back into the car with Rose.

"We'd better get Rose to the doctor for her vaccines."

"Sure thing. We'll drop Zach back later." Jessica and Zach had just finished their greeting hug. Zach looked up at Daffy and Rose, who had just climbed back in the car.

"I'll see you later Daffy." Zach said.

"Enjoy yourself." Daffy replied. He closed the door and the car drove away. Bugs, Jessica and Zach went into the burrow. Lola had just finished preparing lunch and was busy laying the table. There was a huge bowl of salad on the table with salad sauce and other seasonings. Lola looked over towards the entrance to the burrow, smiled and waved at Zach.

"Welcome Zach." Lola greeted.

"Hello Lola." Zach greeted back.

"Lunch ready then?" Jessica asked.

"Only just." Lola replied.

"Then I got here just in time then." Zach commented. Everybody cocked a smile at Zach's comment. He was suggesting that Daffy was a little late, as he almost always was. This time he nearly was late. Melissa had to hurry Daffy along so they would be able to drop Zach off and get to the doctors in time for Rose's vaccinations. Zach still had no idea why he was late, as he was alone in the room he and Melissa shared. Zach then ended the smirk by climbing up to one of the chairs at the table. He then proceeded to help Jessica into the seat next to him, a sight that touched Bugs and Lola.

"You're such a little gentleman Zach." Lola commented.

* * *

A while after lunch had been eaten, Jessica and Zach were just sitting on the couch in front of the telly, just relaxing before Jessica had to get ready for the auction that evening. Bugs and Lola were already getting ready for the event in their room. Jessica was leaning on Zach's shoulder while they were just watching some Looney Tunes on TV. Jessica also kept half an eye on the clock, watching for when they would have to go. They had about half an hour before they had to go, enough time to spend a bit more time together. After lunch, they had spent most of the time playing games. Now it was nearly time to drop Zach back home, a time that neither of them wanted to happen. However, they both knew that it would happen eventually. Unfortunately there would be no way of Daffy going to the Auction, as Rose was far too important and it would be nigh on impossible to get a baby sitter on such short notice.

"It's hard to imagine that we've been together for a year now." Jessica suddenly said dreamily. Zach was actually waiting for Jessica to say something so he could reply back. She had been silent throughout the cartoons for an understandable reason. Zach put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I still remember when you asked me out. You were going through such a time back then."

"At the time, I suppose I needed you, despite what I was doing."

"I have to admit, I never suspected that you liked me until you asked me."

"And I never suspected that you liked me when I asked you."

"But hey, let's not think about how it happened so much. Let's just look towards the future."

"That's a good idea Zach." Jessica tilted her head so she was looking at Zach. She was relieved that her parents were in their room getting ready, but she knew that their little moment wouldn't be able to last for very long, since she would have to get ready to go out very soon. She decided to start the moment sooner rather than later. She turned her whole body so she was facing Zach completely. Zach had already turned to face her. They both wrapped their arms around each other, like they had done so many times before. Zach made the first move by gently pulling Jessica towards him. Jessica then made the advance. She leaned forward towards Zach's face and planted a deep kiss. Zach shut his eyes and returned it. They pulled each other tightly towards each other to intensify the feeling. The kiss lasted only about 10 minutes before Jessica pulled away slowly and very hesitantly.

"Zach, I'd love to continue this, but I've got to go and get ready for tonight." Jessica said sadly. Zach also showed a little sorrow but nodded understandingly.

"Ok. We can finish this off later." Jessica nodded and slowly let go of Zach, but not before planting a kiss on his cheek. She then stood up and walked to her room to get ready, leaving Zach on the couch looking at the door to her room.

"Jessica, I wish all of our moments could be like the one we had after we defeated the Pranker." Zach thought to himself.


	4. Unwanted attention

Everyone, prepare yourselves for a twist at the end of this chapter.

**Unwanted attention**

At 5:00, everybody left the bunnies Burrow to head off to the auction. But first, they were going to head to Daffy's house to drop Zach back home. Bugs, Lola and Jessica were wearing smart cloths for the auction. When Jessica first came out of her room after changing into her clothes, her beauty actually took Zach's breath away. The group arrived at Daffy's house at about 5:10, so they had 20 minutes to get to the auction after dropping Zach off. Lola was waiting in the car while Jessica and Bugs were at Daffy's front door. When Daffy opened it, he was weaning a very smart suit, a bit like Bugs was wearing.

"Hello there Bugs." Daffy greeted.

"Yo Daff." Bugs greeted back.

"Where's Rose?" Zach asked.

"And what's with the tux?" Jessica asked

"She's asleep. Melissa and I thought we'd go out for the night since we had the chance." Daffy replied.

"Where were you going?" Bugs asked.

"Just to watch a movie. Nothing spectacular. Was Zach well behaved?" There was a certain amount of cockiness in Daffy's tone that made both Jessica and Zach glare at him.

"Kidding. I know you were well behaved" Daffy said.

"Very funny." Jessica muttered.

"And where are you two guys going?"

"We've just got some fancy do to go to. Nothing too special. Bugs replied. He didn't want to tell Daffy about the auction otherwise he'd go loopy about it. He might also cause major embarrassment at the event, and that would not do well for Daffy's public image.

"Oh, ok. You're looking very pretty Jessica."

"Thanks Daffy." Jessica replied. Zach then grabbed Jessica's hand and looked at Daffy.

"Daffy, if anybody is going to say how pretty Jessica is, it's going to be me." Zach said in a joking tone. For some reason, Daffy didn't seem to notice that Zach was joking and took it seriously.

"Sorry Zach, I didn't mean to steal your thunder." Zach just laughed. He was joking around, yet Daffy took it seriously. Zach knew that daffy wasn't very bright sometimes, but never realised that he could stoop to that level of stupidity as to not realise when Zach was joking around. Zach just slapped himself on the head playfully.

"Daffy, I was joking when I said that."

"Oh, right." Everybody just laughed in unison after that. After the laughter died down, Bugs began walking back to the car.

"We'd better be heading off now." Bugs said.

"Ok then." Zach gave Jessica a kiss on the cheek as Daffy was saying this.

"See you when I next see you." Zach said.

"See you again." Jessica replied, giving Zach a kiss on the cheek. She then followed her father back to the car. Zach and Daffy watched as the Bunnies' car pulled away and went off.

"Zach, will you be ok looking after Rose just in case she wakes up while we're gone?" Daffy asked. Zach looked up at Daffy.

"Sure, I'll be fine." Zach replied. This gave Zach two choices. He could either go help out in the Foxcave or he would stay behind and watch over Rose. He quickly came to a decision. He would remain home unless the Fangwave sounded. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"I don't know for certain. It could be anything up to 3 hours. Depends on how long the film we watch is."

"You haven't decided on what you're going to watch yet?"

"Not really. We like to go there and see what's on."

* * *

By 5:30, bugs, Lola and Jessica had arrived at the auction site. The room where the auction was talking place was beautifully decorated. All of the chandeliers that were hanging from the ceiling were gold plated, making the room incredibly bright. The room was decorated with a mixture of gold and red wallpaper. There were a few seats but most of the people were standing for the auction. There was a drinks stand with an assortment of soft drinks, fizzy drinks and alcoholic beverages. Jessica wasn't the only child at the auction, she had already seen a few children about her age around. This was a little comforting and a little nerve-wracking at the same time. She didn't know whether lots of children would jump her and try to make friends so they could boast that they were friends with her. So far, it hadn't happened yet but she was always prepared for the possibility of it ever happening. Near the front seats was the stand where the auctioneer would stand. So far, there hadn't been any items going up for auction yet, as the hosts wanted to be sure that everybody who was going to be here was here. Jessica had her Fangwave in her pocket. She had come to an agreement with her parents that she would have to go if it sounded for any reason. She hoped that it wouldn't but again there was every possibility that it would. Jessica was currently sitting on a chair near the auctioneer's stand. These seats were reserved for the Bunny family, including her. Her parents were having a drink and talking to the auctioneer. Jessica wasn't taking notice of any conversations in particular because she had no reason to do so. There were plenty of conversations going on at the same time, so even if she did try to listen in on one of them, it would be difficult to pinpoint who was talking. She could still hear what most people were saying though. However, while she was sitting around, she heard a conversation that tickled her interest. She couldn't tell who was speaking but she was able to hear most of the conversation. She remained still and listened as carefully as she could to hear as much as possible.

"Don't worry about your failure tonight. You'll have another chance tomorrow." The first voice, which sounded like that of a female not much older than Lola, said.

"I was interrupted mum. Will we still have enough to get that piece of land?" The second voice, which sounded like that of a boy not much older than Jessica or Zach, asked.

"Don't worry, we will. We'll be able to save those animals, don't worry."

"Even if I have to steal the deed to the land?" This piece of speech was so quiet that Jessica was only just able to hear it, but it got her detective instinct fired up.

"Hopefully it won't have to come to that, but if it does, you'll be fine." This second voice was as quiet as the previous one. Jessica hadn't heard the whole conversation, but she had heard enough to get her suspicions roused. She was unable to find out who was talking though because so many others were talking. However, she may be able to recognise the voices if they spoke during the auction. From there, she might be able to find out who the conversation was between.

"Whoever spoke just then; they may have something to do with CatClaw." Jessica thought to herself.

* * *

After another half an hour, the auction began for real. Bugs, Lola and Jessica were sitting on the seats next to the auctioneer's stand. Next to them was a small box, like a lucky dip. One of the three rabbits was going to put his or her hand into the box and pull out a description of the first item. An attendant would then bring the item in question to the stand and the auction would then begin. The auctioneer was a well built Pig with a thin black moustache. He had an auctioneer's hammer in his left hand and was waiting for the first item to be chosen.

"Jess, do you want to pick the first item for bidding?" Bugs asked.

"If you insist…" Jessica replied teasingly.

"I do." The three bunnies laughed at Bugs' remark. Jessica went over to the box, put her hand in and pulled out the first item that was up for beginning. She had a look at the item that she had picked out. She then quickly cleared her throat and read out the item that was on the piece of paper.

"Ok, the first item is a 3 acre plot of land just outside the forest around the town. It is believed to lie on gold territory and the market price is $1,000,000." As Jessica read this, an attendant came out back with a glass case containing the title deed to the plot of land in question. The title deed had a golden seal on the bottom corner of the document. The auctioneers' began to gasp in awe at the document being shown in front of them. The auctioneer banged the auctioneer's hammer onto the table o get everybody's attention.

"Everyone, we will begin the bidding at $100,000." The auctioneer began.

"Fair price." Jessica muttered to herself. The auction for the plot of land then began.

"Ok, do I see $100,000 for the land?" A person in the front raised his hand to match the bid. "I have $100,000, do I have $110,000?" A lady at the back raised her hand. "I have $110,000, do I have $120,000?"

"$150,000!" A man in the middle row called out.

"Ok, I have $150,000, do I have $160,000?"

"$200,000!" A lady called out.

"I have $200,000, do I hear any more bids?" There was a bit of a silence, so the auctioneer assumed that there was going to be no more bids. "Going once…" There was still a silence from the auctioneers. "Going twice…" There was still a silence. The auctioneer slowly raised the auctioneer's hammer. "Going… Going…" Before the auctioneer could strike the hammer, a voice called out.

"$600,000." Everybody in the room gasped in shock at the huge bid. Everybody looked at where it had come from. It was coming from a slender looking female rabbit. She looked completely different to Bugs and Lola. She was dark brown with a blonde fringe. The way she was dressed, she was obviously very wealthy. Next to her was a young boy about Jessica's age. He was a light brown color and looked rather athletic. Bugs began to get a little starry eyed until Lola elbowed him and snapped him back to reality.

"What… What I do?" Bugs asked in confusion. Jessica had recognised the voice from the lady. It was one of the voices that she had overheard having that suspicious conversation.

"She's the lady I heard half an hour ago." Jessica thought to herself. The young boy had noticed Jessica and winked at her. Jessica was a bit taken aback but looked away.

"Do I hear any more bids?" The auctioneer asked. There was absolute silence from the auctioneers, too shocked by the huge bid to even speak. "Going once…" There was still a silence from the auctioneers. "Going twice…" There was still a silence. The auctioneer slowly raised the auctioneer's hammer. "Going… Going…GONE!" The auctioneer slammed his hammer down and ended the auction. Sold for $600,000 to… Miss. Barbara Lyle!"

* * *

Nobody was now in the right frame of mind to speak any more so there was a break in the auctioneering. During the break, the bunnies were sitting in their seats having a quiet drink. While they were doing so, Barbara Lyle and the young boy came over to them. None of them seemed to notice because they were either too shocked about what they had just heard or, in Jessica's case, she was trying to put a few things together in her mind. They only realised that she was there when she spoke to them.

"You must be the bunny family." The three of them were so surprised they nearly dropped their drinks. When they looked up, they saw Barbara looking at the three of them. The boy was just eyeing Jessica, making her a little nervous. She figured that she would get this kind of attention at some point but had hoped that she wouldn't.

"Err, what's up doctress?" Bugs asked in his corny accent. Barbara just laughed.

"You must have a lot of money to bid that high." Lola commented.

"I come from a rich background." Barbara replied. She then offered her hand in friendship towards them.

"Barbara Lyle." Bugs was the first to take her hand.

"Bugs Bunny." Bugs let go of her hand and then Lola took it.

"Lola Bunny." Lola let go of Barbara's hand and looked down at the boy who was with Barbara. He had offered his hand to Jessica in friendship.

"My name's Bill Lyle." Bill greeted. Jessica took his hand in friendship but her mind was giving her doubts. His voice was the second voice from the conversation she had overheard, and something was telling her that she shouldn't trust Bill.

"Jessica Bunny." Jessica greeted.

"Mind if I call you Jess for now?"

"Everybody else does."

"Ok, then I won't." Jessica did crack a small smile at Bill at his line.

"So, what are you two doing here then?" Bugs asked.

"We just came here from a trip. We're trying to find a place to stay." Barbara replied.

"Well you've come to a great place to set up home."

"I see. Any particular reason why we should stay here?"

"I can think of one reason…" Bill said, eyeing Jessica. Jessica looked away from Bill. She knew what he meant and she was taken. There was no way in her mind that she would drop Zach for somebody she'd only just met. Everyone else just laughed. Jessica then felt a vibration in her pocket. It was her Fangwave going off.

"Excuse me for a minute. I just need to use the little girl's room." Jessica said politely, climbing off the chair and walking around Bill to walk to the ladies' room. When she got there, she found that, much to her surprise and relief, that nobody was using it. She found a cubicle and took out her Fangwave. She was getting a call from Eric at the police station, a call that she had to answer, as it could be urgent.

"Voice changer on… answer call" Jessica thought to herself as she touched a few places on the screen.

"Yes Eric?" The voice change successfully changed Jessica's voice to that of FoxFang.

"So, this works then." Eric said over the speaker.

"What do you need Eric?"

"FoxFang, we need your expertise right now. The main city's database had just been hacked!"


	5. Kidnapping

Just when you thought that you'd seen the last of the twists, here's another.

**Kidnapping**

Zach was watching a cartoon on the telly when Jessica had received the call from Eric and had listened in on his Fangwave. After checking that Rose was still asleep, he went to the Foxcave. Once there, he sent a message to Jessica saying that he would meet her at the alleyway near the auction site. He had changed into his attire and Egghead Jr. had opened the case that contained Jessica's outfit so Zach could take it with him. This was going to cut down the time considerably, as it saved Jessica a trip to the Foxcave. Before he left, Egghead Jr. had given Zach a hard drive so he could copy the main database for analysis. Of course, they would only do this with Eric and Lucy's permission. Zach had decided to leave King back at the Foxcave, since there wouldn't be any fighting and he might get in the way. Jessica had gotten out of the auction building and was waiting in the nearby alleyway, keeping completely out of sight. Luckily, there were no windows on the side of the buildings on either side of the alley. Zach was going to come around the back of the building, where there would be less people watching them. Jessica had dragged her mother away from everybody after receiving the message so she could tell her why she needed to go. Lola had agreed to tell everybody that asked where she was that she needed some time to herself, as she was getting nervous because of the crowd. Jessica hadn't been waiting for very long when her hearing heard something coming from the alleyway. She had a quick look around and saw a tall figure approaching her. She could see well enough to tell that the figure was human and could also see a small handgun in his hand. He also had a black mask over his face, immediately telling her that the figure meant her harm. This was the first time in a while that she was the direct target of a threat. Even so, she knew that she would have to wait for Zach in order to diffuse the situation. In the meantime, she showed no fear and acted like her father would do. She pulled out a carrot and munched on it.

"Eh… what's up doc?" Jessica successfully imitated her father's casual style, like she had done several times before.

"I'm going to rob you." The figure replied.

"Ohhhhh, that's what you're doing. Well, good luck with that." Jessica began walking away, being ready for her possible attacker to do something. The attacker ran up to her and tried to pin her to the floor. He would've done if another figure hadn't rushed in and pushed the attacker away. It was Cub. Cub had knocked Jessica's attacker unconscious in a single blow. Cub then looked at Jessica. Jessica smiled up at Cub.

"Perfect timing Cub." Jessica saw the Fangmobile at the end of the alleyway and rushed towards it. She opened it with her Fangwave, leapt inside and closed it immediately. She also covered the windows with the shields, a new feature that had been installed recently that prevented people from looking inside. Once nobody could look inside, she quickly changed identity. By the time she had done, the attacker that Cub had knocked out had gotten back up again.

"You, you spoilt a perfectly good robbery just then!" The attacker scolded.

"Just try and beat me." Cub remarked. The attacker rushed at Cub but got knocked out by FoxFang, who had leapt out of the Fangmobile and attacked him. FoxFang knew that they didn't have much time to waste, so she quickly cuffed the attacker before he could get up. The two of them then raced back to the awaiting Fangmobile, with FoxFang jumping in the driver's seat and Cub in the passenger side.

"Great timing there, but we don't have time to waste." FoxFang said. She began driving towards the city hall without hesitation, as it was the city hall where the main database was located.

"I heard the message from Eric. Why would anyone hack the main database?" Cub asked.

"We can find that out by examining the data. That might take a while though."

"Which reminds me; I got this hard drive from our scientist. If Eric and Lucy give us permission, we can copy the data onto it for him to analyse."

"If we don't we'll let the police analyse it and then have them get back to us."

* * *

The city hall was absolutely surrounded by police vehicles by the time FoxFang and Cub arrived. FoxFang and Cub both remembered the vicious battle with Pranker at the city hall. A few months back. It was the battle where the two were appointed honorary deputies by the mayor and gained the trust of the police. When they did arrive, Eric and Lucy were both waiting outside the building, along with another officer. He was a male officer, rather 'big boned' and had a black moustache. FoxFang and cub leapt out of the Fangmobile and went over to the three. The large officer gave a snort but didn't say anything.

"Thank you for coming." Eric greeted.

"Has anything been taken from the database?" FoxFang asked.

"Several files were deleted and one was reported to have been printed. We have no way of knowing what was printed though."

"We can fix that by recovering the data that was deleted."

"On that note, we have something to ask you. We'll tell you further details inside." Cub added.

"Very well, we shall lead you to the computer room." Lucy said.

"I still don't see why we have to work with two people dressed like foxes." The big officer said. FoxFang and Cub eyed the new officer wearily. It was that he did not like the idea of working with them. He didn't show any signs of disobeying orders though. He just kept on looking at FoxFang and Cub with quite a nasty look.

"Dirk, if you think like that, you could lose your badge!" Eric scolded.

"I still say that we would be better off without them!"

"Careful what you wish for Dirk," FoxFang scolded. She, Cub, Eric and Lucy proceeded inside the building. Dirk sneered and followed them. The computer room, where all of the data was kept, was full of state of the art computers. Each one had a police officer or a computer expert at them, trying to recover the deleted data. Only one computer wasn't taken, as it had been reserved for FoxFang and Cub for when they arrived. When they entered the room, everyone who was already there looked at them, saluted and then got back to work. They mayor was standing by the available computer. As soon as he saw FoxFang and Cub arrive, he went over to them and offered his hand in friendship.

"Glad you could come to help us out here." The mayor greeted. FoxFang took the mayor's hand and shook it.

"We saved a computer for you guys to work on." Eric added.

"Thanks." FoxFang replied. She and Cub went over to the free computer and sat down at it. They then opened up the main drive and had a look at all of the files.

"The hackers deleted about 20 percent of the data and there's evidence that they printed out a certain document." The mayor explained.

"They obviously deleted a huge load to make it harder for us to identify what they printed." FoxFang reasoned.

"Mayor, Eric, Lucy, with your permission, we would like to copy the data onto a hard drive to take back to our base." Cub explained.

"Why back to your base?" The mayor asked.

"The base has a very sophisticated computer. Recovering the lost data on that would be much easier."

"Besides, we prefer to work alone on this kind of stuff." FoxFang added. The mayor had a little think about the proposal. He did feel a little uncomfortable about having data copied after what had just happened, but he also saw the logic in what FoxFang and Cub were saying.

"Very well, you have my permission." The mayor said.

"Thank you sir." Cub inserted the hard drive into the PC and copied everything that was on the main drives onto it. The process took a few minutes but it was eventually done.

"Are you sure that you will be able to find out what was deleted from copied data?" Lucy asked.

"When data is deleted, it leaves behind miniature traces of the data on the drive it was stored in. When the drive is copied, so are those traces of data." A nearby computer expert explained. He then began a long and complicated explanation on how this happened and why this happened.

"Geek." Dirk mumbled under his breath. FoxFang and cub heard him but said nothing about it, as they silently agreed with him on that. When the copying was done, Cub removed the hard drive from the Pc and the two got up.

"When we find something out, we'll call you." FoxFang said.

"Thank you for your help." The mayor replied. Everyone in the room, other than Dirk, gave a salute as FoxFang and Cub left the room and the building.

* * *

Jessica went back to the auction while Cub went back to the Foxcave to give the hard drive to Egghead Jr. for him to analyse. Much later on that night, everyone was in the Foxcave. The auction had finished in a particularly boring fashion, the only excitement being Bill making more moves on Jessica. Jessica kept on shooting him down but never told him that she was taken, mainly because she found his approaches amusing. Zach was the last to arrive in the cave, as he had to wait for Daffy and Melissa to fall asleep. King as having a snooze near the computer while Egghead Jr. was working on the data from the hard drive. He had made remarkable process and had recovered all of the deleted data successfully. Jessica and Zach were standing next to the main computer looking at the screen. They hadn't been in the Foxcave while Egghead Jr. was working his magic and were curious as to how well he'd done. Shirley and Plucky were standing next to each other but the opposite side of Egghead Jr, also looking at the computer. They had been with Egghead Jr. the whole time and knew exactly how well he had done.

"How's the data cracking going?" Jessica asked.

"We've recovered the deleted data, now we're just trying to find out which one was printed." Shirley explained.

"That shouldn't be too hard. It's just a case of loading the documents and checking the date of when they were last printed." Zach reasoned.

"I suppose so." Plucky added.

"But what puzzles me is that most of the deleted data was seemingly useless." Shirley said.

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.

"I mean stuff like the mayor's diary entries "

"Found anything particularly important in the deleted items?"

"There were some nasty ones. We're going to find them out first."

"Such as?" Zach asked. Before Shirley could answer this question, the Fangwave sounded. There was a disturbance at Furball's house.

"Looks like trouble. Our old ally could use a little help." Zach said. Jessica and Zach were about to get primed for action when the Fangwave sounded again. This time there was a break in at the Diamondo De Francais.

"That break in sounds like CatClaw." Plucky said.

"Zach, I'll take King and go to the Diamondo de Francais. You go and assist Furball." Jessica said.

"Right!" Zach replied.

* * *

At Furball's house, there was a very violent commotion going on. Masked figures had broken into the house and were attacking Furball and Rita. Runt was asleep outside and didn't seem to notice that something was going on. Furball was fighting off the masked figures well but there were quite a few to handle. Rita had been cornered in Furball's bedroom, so she had to fight back. There was only one figure facing her, the rest were after Furball. Furball leapt up at one of the figures and knocked him down with a roundhouse kick. A second figure then attacked him from behind and clubbed him in the back of the head. Furball was knocked to the floor but got back up and knocked the guy down with a sweeping kick.

"Is that all you got? Now leave before I start trying!" Furball threatened. One of the figures then pulled out a gun and aimed it at Furball's throat.

"You cut it out before we start trying!" The figure shouted. Furball kicked the gun out of the figures' hand. Runt had finally heard the disturbance and had come running inside.

"What's going on, what's going on?" Runt asked. He was immediately knocked unconscious with a single blow from the hand end of a gun. Furball was then knocked out by a similar attack. All of the figures then went into Furball's room and knocked Rita out. The figures then looked at the three knocked out toons.

"We can't take all of them." One of them said.

"Then we'll just take two of them." Another said.

"Which ones?"

"The lady cat and the dog?"

"What about the boy cat? He's dangerous?"

"We could do with some fun. Let him come after his friends." The figures picked up Runt and Rita and then went outside to an awaiting van. The van was completely black with no licence plates on it at all. By the time Runt and Rita had been put into the van, Furball had woken up. He rushed outside only in time to see the van pull away with Runt and Rita. Furball raced back inside the house, grabbed the OxHorn outfit and changed quickly. He then went out the back.

"Rita, Runt, I'll save you!" OxHorn said to himself before disappearing into the night to find Runt and Rita's kidnappers.


	6. What was stolen

A big plot element coming up in this chapter

**What was stolen**

At the Diamondo de Francais, CatClaw was busy opening the glass containers that contained the jewels. CatClaw was opening them by using a claw to cut a circular hole in the glass. The glass was then removed and placed on top of the container. CatClaw then took out the jewels and placed them in a black handbag. The handbag seemed to be custom made, since it didn't match anything that was found in the stores around the city. After filling the handbag with some Jewels, CatClaw turned to look at the large safe.

"Me-wow. I wonder what's in the box..." CatClaw said to herself before darting over to the safe. CatClaw then took out a small device from the handbag. It was circular with a small crystal screen and a few buttons, much like a miniature calculator. CatClaw placed this device on the handle of the safe and turned it on. After a few seconds, the small device had deciphered the code needed to open the safe. Without hesitation, CatClaw reached for the dial and began entering the combination, reading it off the small device.

"Left 5… right 2… left 7… right 9…" Before CatClaw could finish entering the combination, CatClaw got hit in the side by a powerful impact and was knocked to the other side of the room. The cause of the impact was FoxFang, with King at her side.

"Cats shouldn't be playing with diamonds." FoxFang said as she watched CatClaw climb back up.

"Always a sour puss." CatClaw snapped. "Where's your little friend"? CatClaw had noticed that Cub was missing, not knowing that he was sorting out other business elsewhere.

"What's wrong? Don't think I'm good enough for you?" CatClaw just moved closer to FoxFang with a seductive walk.

"Come on handsome, you and I alone could make some fireworks."

"What kind do you have in mind?"

"Come on handsome, a person like your partner can get in the way of a budding relationship."

"A relationship?" FoxFang was a little nervous at CatClaw's advances. She couldn't tell whether CatClaw was just being sly or just being silly.

"That's right handsome. A life of crime pays much better than a life of crime fighting. With your skills and mine, we could make a pretty good team." CatClaw walked even closer to FoxFang and then stroked her chin, making FoxFang a little nervous. She grabbed CatClaw's hand and pushed it to the side.

"Sorry, but I get my kicks from fighting crime."

"Always a sour puss." CatClaw suddenly pulled out the whip and whipped it at close range. The whip missed but it forced FoxFang into a fighting stance. She began by kicking CatClaw in the chest before leaping away backwards and throwing a Fangmerang in an attempt to knock the whip out of CatClaw's hand. CatClaw lashed the whip and knocked the Fangmerang out of the air, but FoxFang lad already leapt high up and then came crashing down, pinning CatClaw to the ground. CatClaw kicked upwards and knocked FoxFang off. CatClaw then climbed back up and lashed the whip again. FoxFang grabbed the whip and held onto it.

"King, now!" King rushed forward at FoxFang's instruction, tackling CatClaw and knocking the handbag away. CatClaw kicked King away and then extended the claws. With a single swipe, CatClaw had thrown all of the claws towards FoxFang. FoxFang rolled out of the way, but this gave CatClaw the opportunity to grab the handbag.

"I win this round handsome. If you ever change your mind, give me a call. We'll be a purrrfect team." With those words, CatClaw very quickly disappeared, taking about $700 worth of jewels. By the time FoxFang had gotten out of the building, CatClaw was gone.

"You win this round, but not the war, CatClaw."

* * *

After leaving in pursuit of the Kidnappers, OxHorn had tracked down the van that Runt and Rita were being transported in. He had followed the van by cutting corners and then, when he was in range, throwing a small tracker to the back of the truck. He then used a tracking device that he and Rita had made together to follow the van. The trail led him to a park on the outskirts of the city. As well as the van, there was also a small helicopter. There were a lot of figures around both vehicles, all dressed in black. OxHorn crept up as silently as possible towards the group and tried his to listen in on what they were saying. He was so close as to be taking a risk, but he heard what they were all saying.

"Will these two do boss?" Somebody asked.

"They'll do. I need two different species for testing the formula anyway." Another person asked.

"Do you think you-know-who will show up?" a third person asked nervously.

"Let him. He can't win this time."

"He beat us before."

"That was because he caught us off guard. This time, we shall anticipate his arrival."

"What shall we do with these two first?" the first person to speak asked.

"Put them in the helicopter. We can then begin to launch and head to base." That was all OxHorn needed to know. He decided to attack now if he had any chance of rescuing Runt and Rita. He raced towards the person nearest the van and knocked him out with a jump kick to the head. The attack was silent and nobody realised what had just happened. OxHorn then raced to the next person and knocked him down with a sweeping kick. This, however, brought attention to him. Everybody that was still conscious turned and looked at OxHorn.

"He isn't the fox." Somebody said.

"Then who is he?" Another asked.

"Who cares, get him!" The leader, who had now stepped into the helicopter with Runt and Rita, shouted. Everybody who was on the ground lunged towards OxHorn and piled on top of him. OxHorn began spinning on one foot rapidly, throwing everybody off. They all climbed back to their feet and rushed at OxHorn. OxHorn jumped up into the air and they all crashed into each other. By now, the helicopter had lifted off the ground by enough so that OxHorn couldn't reach it. The leader went to the side door of the helicopter, which was still open, and looked at what had happened. All of his men had climbed to their feet.

"Stop, let him go. We may need him." The leader said. All his men looked up at the helicopter.

"Yes sir!" Everybody shouted. Before OxHorn could stop them, they had rushed into the van and had driven off.

"You, you'd best keep out of our way if you know what's good for you!" The leader shouted at OxHorn.

"I will tail you to the end of the Earth if I have to." OxHorn shouted.

"Amusing, but you'll never catch up to us Ox, so give up." The helicopter began to take off again but stopped a little bit further overhead.

"And Ox, if you ever see the Fox, tell him that his oldest enemy would like a rematch." The door then closed and the helicopter took off. Before it did, OxHorn was able to throw a tracker to the base. As soon as the helicopter had disappeared from site, OxHorn looked at the tracking device and followed where it went. When the tracker finally stopped, OxHorn noted where the tracker had stopped moving and saved the location to the tracker.

"I can't do this all night. I'll get some rest and resume the trail tomorrow." OxHorn said to himself before returning back to his home.

* * *

Back at Furball's home, Cub had arrived on the scene. He was the only person present at location. This suited Cub just fine, since there were some things that he needed to check out. He was busy searching the floor for hairs with his hair scope. So far, he had found several different hairs. Each one had been placed in a separate evidence bag for further analysis back at the Foxcave. Cub had been able to gather up an accurate picture of what had happened judging by the mess and the several different hairs found at the scene.

"Furball, Runt and Rita were attacked. The question is who by?" Cub asked himself. He continued his exploration of the house and found his way into the main bedroom. The first thing he did once he was there was to open the closets. He checked through every suit and piece of clothing around but couldn't find what he was looking for.

"Just like I suspected. The OxHorn suit is missing. Runt and Rita must have been kidnapped and Furball must have gone after the kidnappers. But who and why would somebody want to kidnap Runt and Rita?" Cub continued to search the house with his scope. After a wile, he switched to a different scope that could detect other normally invisible items. He eventually cam across some clothing fabrics. They were all of the same design, completely black and made of the same material. Cub took these for evidence as well. Finally, he had a look outside. Outside, he saw a tiny spec of black paint through the scope. He also picked this up and kept it for evidence. After this, he looked around at the scene. He eventually saw the Fangmobile coming. It pulled over and opened up, allowing Cub to jump in.

"How'd it go?" FoxFang asked. She was in the driver's seat and remained there for the moment. She began to drive away from the scene and back to the Foxcave.

"Runt and Rita have been kidnapped. Furball obviously went after the kidnappers." Cub replied.

"I had another run in with CatClaw. She got away, but I won't let her get away next time."

"We've got too much stuff going on right now."

"Agreed, but I get the feeling that they all have a single connection."

"Your hunches are often right, but let's not assume it too early though."

"Agreed." Very soon after FoxFang and Cub had left the scene, OxHorn returned to his home. He went inside, closed all of the doors and removed his costume. He then went into his bedroom, placed the tracker on the bedside table and climbed into bed. This was the first time in a while that he was in bed by himself. He had been sleeping with Rita for quite some time. He nervously looked around the room before finally settling down.

"Runt, Rita, just hang on. I will rescue you yet." Furball said before trying to go to sleep.

* * *

Eventually, Jessica and Zach had returned to the Foxcave and were sitting around without their uniforms. Both of them were trying to figure things out. Zach had given all of the evidence he had found to Egghead Jr. He wasn't analysing it just yet, as he was still scanning through the recovered data. Everybody was also slightly anxious as to what could've been printed off by the hackers. Jessica and Zach didn't need more on their plate but all they could do was wait for the results. Jessica was also disappointed about failing to stop CatClaw. CatClaw was proving to be a very tricky customer to handle, but Jessica kept on telling herself that CatClaw could be beaten. Zach was trying to figure out who would've abducted Runt and Rita. To his knowledge, they hadn't irritated anybody recently, so he couldn't think of a motive for the kidnapping. Shirley had looked away from the computer screen, realising that something was bothering Jessica and Zach. Plucky kept on looking at the computer for any sign of a result. They had been told about what had happened at the Diamondo de Francais and of what Zach had discovered. As a result, they were also getting anxious about the weight of problems facing the group.

"Jessica, Zach, are you two ok?" Shirley asked. Both rabbits looked up at Shirley.

"We're just worried about the weight of what's going on right now." Zach replied.

"Who isn't?"

"But we can do it. I know we can!" Jessica said.

"Yeah. We can pull through this. Just watch us!" Zach added.

"Guys, guys, a result!" Plucky shouted excitedly. Everybody's attention turned to the computer screen.

"What is it?" Jessica asked.

"We've found the document that the hackers have printed off!" The computer was displaying a document, the one that had been printed off. The document contained a series of chemical names, expressed by their symbols. The document had the title 'Formula'.

"It's some kind of formula." Zach said.

"But what is the formula for?" Jessica asked. Egghead Jr. ran another programme and created the formula under a virtual reality environment. Once this was complete, a strange coloured liquid was shown on the screen. The chemicals that were in the formula were Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene. A sudden chill ran down everybody's spine. Something inside them was telling them what this compound was but they didn't want to believe it at first.

"I have a bad feeling about what those chemicals make." Zach muttered.

"It'd better not be what I think it is." Jessica added. Egghead Jr. did one final check on the computer and all the worst suspicions of the group were confirmed.

The formula that was stolen was the dreaded substance known as 'dip'.


	7. Keep this quiet

I'll be revealing CatClaw's identity in this chapter.

**Keep this quiet**

The moment that the stolen formula had been identified, it was like time had suddenly frozen for everybody in the cave. Everybody knew about the dip, even those that weren't alive during the incident, now known only as 'doom year'. Children had been told about it by their parents in private whenever they misbehaved but in public, the substance was a taboo topic. Everybody feared the dip, even the toughest and most vicious toons. Nobody knew that the formula for the deadly substance had been kept, that was until now. The silence lasted about 5 minutes, only broken when everybody in the room other than King swallowed a lump of sweat simultaneously. Even after that, nobody was speaking or moving. For the first time in a while, they were all scared. Nobody knew what to say or do. All courses of action involved a high level of risk, considering what they were up against. Without speaking, Jessica walked away from the computer backwards. She then turned around and used her finger to draw a skull and crossbones in the air, to signify the threat level. It was definitely possible that they would not survive any upcoming battles. Zach had walked over to her without her realising. He put a hand gently on her shoulder to try and calm her down. All she did was urn around and look at him with sorrow and fear in her eyes. She could see the same emotions in Zach's eyes as well. Nobody was hiding their fear at all, though everyone was far too shocked to speak. So far, only they knew about the impending danger threatening the city. They had promised to tell the authorities about what they had discovered when they discovered it, but now they didn't want to, as it might spread avoidable panic amongst the city. However, it didn't take too long for panic to start up in the Foxcave. Plucky broke the long silence all of a sudden. He began running around in a circle while shouting his head off.

"We're doomed! We're doomed! We're doomed!" The shouting was enough to get everybody riled up. Zach rushed over to Plucky, stopped him by grabbing his arm and then turned him so Plucky and Zach were looking eye to eye. Zach held onto both of Plucky's arms tightly to stop him moving.

"Plucky, the first rule of this kind of situation is to remain CALM!" Zach said very sternly into Plucky's face. Plucky took a deep breath and looked back at Zach.

"Thanks, I needed that." Zach let go of Plucky and walked away slowly, ready to move again if Plucky went wild again. Jessica returned to the group. She had been thinking through her terror for a plan of action to resolve the situation. Rom her train of thought, she had decided on a few things.

"Right, the first thing is that we must not let word of this get into public domain." Jessica said.

"Why?" Plucky asked.

"Because we don't want to cause an unnecessary panic in the city."

"So when we tell the mayor, we need to advise him to keep the information classified." Zach added.

"But what about finding the person that stole the formula?" Shirley asked.

"That I'm not sure of. We may need to gain access to the sales book of chemical suppliers to find out who has brought the ingredients." Jessica replied.

"I think it's more likely that they'll try and steal the ingredients. In which case, all we need to do is wait for that to happen." Zach suggested.

"So you're saying that we wait for the criminals to make their move and then find them like that?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"I don't know. Ideally, we need to deal with this before the Dip is made up, but I don't know how we would do that."

"I think you should tell the mayor of what we've found before we continue." Shirley suggested.

"Good point. We won't get anything accomplished by pondering about it here. Besides, the mayor might have some ideas of his own." Zach replied.

"Ok, let's go and tell the mayor of what we've found. We'll need the hard drive where the data was." Jessica said. Egghead closed all documents from the hard drive and took it out of the computer. He then gave the hard drive to Zach, who was standing next to him to receive the hard drive.

"Guys, while we're gone, find out the chemical properties of the materials that make the dip. We'll need all the information we need to formulate a plan to defeat it." Zach instructed as he took the hard drive from Egghead Jr. Jessica had since changed into the FoxFang outfit. Zach quickly followed suit and changed into Cub, making sure that he still had the hard drive that contained all of the data.

"Right, we're off." FoxFang said before leaping into the Fangmobile, with Cub and King following. They then set off to the City hall to tell the mayor about what they had found and leaving Plucky, Shirley and Egghead Jr. to find out about the chemicals in the dip, Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene.

* * *

In another part of the city, in a block of flats near the centre, Barbara Lyle was busy looking on a PC in the living room. The living room was small and, other than the PC, only had the common items found in a living room. All of the items though were of incredible design. These included a glass top table with the highest quality wood available. The sofas were coated in top quality leather and there was an artificial bear skin rug. The flat was at the very top of the building, and it had a skylight that could be opened for extra ventilation. The curtains in the room were colored gold with red. Barbara was looking at what was on the Pc monitor with a mixed look of anger and horror. There was a satellite picture of a large building in a clearing outside the forest. None of the details of the building were identifiable, other than a narrow road that led to the building. She was then interrupted by the sound of the skylight opening. She looked up at the Skylight and saw CatClaw enter the Skylight with the same handbag used in the earlier raid. After seeing CatClaw, Barbara's look turned into one of glee and a smile came across her lips.

"So, a successful hunt this time?" Barbara asked. CatClaw removed the mask, revealing the true identity, her son Bill.

"I beat the fox this time." Bill replied.

"That's good to hear." Bill opened the handbag, ensuring that the windows were closed and the curtains were closed.

"Check it out. $700 worth of diamonds. It was a little easier, considering that only one of the foxes was there."

"Then I wonder where the other one was?"

"The sour puss didn't say. But I think I psyched him out a little."

"Oh; and how did you do that?"

"I flirted with him. I can just imagine the look on his face if he knew I was a guy."

"Shame you don't know who the fox is in person." Barbara and Bill just laughed. Bill then walked over to a part of the wall. He placed his hand on a picture of a cat and a secret room opened up. Inside the room were a variety of various tools and a place to hang the CatClaw costume. Bill went inside the room and soon came back out in casual attire. He then went over to where his mother was.

"What's this?" Bill asked when he saw the picture on the PC.

"It's a satellite view of the plot of land we bought at the auction. Somebody has built a large building on that land. It looks like some kind of plant."

"That could poison the animals in the forest. We need to shut it down."

"Don't be too hasty. You need to rest after a successful heist." Bill just sighed.

"Any other reason that we should put off an attack?"

"Yes. We don't know anything about the plant. We need to find out some more info." Bill shrugged in response.

"So, what do you suggest?"

"Tomorrow, we go and play a little game of spies." Bill smiled.

"I liked the sound of that."

"But get some sleep first. We can't go protecting our property without a good night's rest."

"Ok mom. Goodnight." Bill walked away and towards the door that led to his bedroom while Barbara continued to look at the PC, trying to figure out on some sort of plan.

* * *

Later on, FoxFang and Cub had arrived at the City hall. Within a few moments of arriving, they had been granted permission to enter the Mayor's office. When they got there, they found the Mayor sitting at his desk with Eric and Lucy standing next to him. King was staying in the Fangmobile, taking a snooze. Eric, Lucy and the mayor noticed FoxFang and Cub enter and greeted them with a smile.

"That was fast work guys." Eric said.

"I thought you said that you were going to call me." The mayor protested.

"We need to speak to you in person. This is more important for a phone call." FoxFang replied.

"Doesn't sound like you have good news." Lucy said.

"Both good and bad news."

"Tell us the good news first." The mayor said.

"We've completed the analysis of the data and have found out what the hacker had printed off." Cub walked forward and gave the hard drive to Eric. Eric took the hard drive and placed it on the table.

"And what's the bad news?" Lucy asked nervously. FoxFang and Cub both sighed. They knew that the people present weren't going to like the news, but they had to say it anyway.

"Mayor, Eric, Lucy, the document that was printed… was the formula for the dip." Cub explained. The whole room fell completely silent, much like the Foxcave had when they had learned the news. The only thing that could be heard was the ticking of the clock in the room and a light howl of the wind outside. The mayor gulped, Eric began to sweat and Lucy looked around nervously. FoxFang was right; this was far too big for a phone call to suffice. The mayor eventually stood up from his desk.

"This is a crisis. We need to alert the people in the city and organise an evacuation plan!"

"By all means, organise an evacuation plan, but don't let the press get hold of this. We need to keep it classified." Cub said.

"What?"

"Cub's right, we don't want to start a panic." Eric explained.

"So what do we do?"

"The fact that they had to get the formula tells me that they didn't know in the first place. That indicated that the criminals will be after the ingredients next." Lucy reasoned.

"They could get the ingredients from that chemical plant on the north of the city." The mayor said.

"In which case we'll send a squadron to watch over the plant and wait for them to make their move."

"And we'll keep watch on the plant as well. We can stop this threat before it's even begun." FoxFang added. However, before anything else could happen, FoxFang and cub's Fangwave sounded. They didn't need to check them, since a radio call over Lucy's radio told them what had happened.

"Lucy, somebody has just broken into the chemical plant on the northern side of town!" A voice said.

"You heard that right?" Lucy asked.

"We heard. We'll go and find out who's running this show." FoxFang replied.

"We'll need to use the window." Cub added. The two then went to the open and leapt out and into the awaiting Fangmobile. Cub took control while FoxFang double checked that was what the Fangwave was responding to. After double checking, they went off towards the plant.

"Time to see who's running this show." FoxFang thought to herself.


	8. The enemy revealed

**The enemy revealed**

At the chemical plant, there were several masked figures loading heavy drums into the same van that had been used to abduct Runt and Rita. The chemical plant was an ACME plant that dealt with all known chemicals. Everybody inside was being held hostage by half of the men while the other half were loading the van. The helicopter that Runt and Rita were transported away in was also there, but Runt and Rita were no longer on board. They had been unloaded somewhere, but only the criminals knew where they were. The drums that were being loaded in the van were labelled 'Turpentine', Acetone' and 'Benzene', the ingredients for the dip. Inside the helicopter, the boss of the whole operation was sitting on one of the chairs with a smug look on his face. He was just overseeing the whole operation. As well as the van that was used in Runt and Rita's kidnapping, there were two other vans that looked identical to the first one. These were also being loaded with the same three deadly chemicals. Each of the men was loading each drum with extreme care so as not to spill any of the chemicals, even though that the lids were tightly sealed.

"Keep on loading guys. There's no telling when the meddlers will arrive!" The boss snapped.

"Don't worry boss, this is the last drum." One of his minions replied as he and two others were loading one more drum into the final van. Once it was in, the vans were all sealed. It was about this time that the Fangmobile arrived on the scene. The boss saw the vehicle and eyed it suspiciously, as was everybody else in the area.

"Is that?" One began to ask.

"I hope not…" Another continued. The smile on the boss' lips widened.

"It's Showtime." The boss muttered. As on cue, the Fangmobile opened and FoxFang, Cub and King leapt out of the vehicle.

"Take them out boys!" The leader shouted. After the leader spoke, the helicopter door closed and it lifted off the ground, but stayed in the area as to watch over the fight. All of the people in the area began to slowly approach the Fangmobile.

"You'll be going nowhere Foxes." One of them said.

"We weren't intending to go anywhere without taking all of you out first." Cub replied. He leapt into the air and then threw several Fang darts at the criminals, stunning them all in pain. FoxFang looked up and noticed that the helicopter was slowly lifting higher and higher into the air.

"Cub, I'm going after the leader. I'm leaving you to round up here." FoxFang said before aiming her grapple hook at the helicopter. The hook caught onto the landing rail and she then pulled herself towards the helicopter and then hung on as the helicopter flew away. Cub and King remained on the ground. Cub looked at the people he had to fight. There were at least 10 but he had taken out larger groups with FoxFang's help. So this shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Some of the enemies were still stunned by the Fang dart barrage from earlier. He leap into the air and landed on a thug's head, finishing off with a midair roundhouse kick to floor him. 3 others then tried to tackle him. He simply jumped and allowed the three to crash into each other and knock themselves out. This left 6 left to fight.

"King, attack!" Cub instructed. King raced forwards and bit one of them by the ankles. Cub followed up by leaping towards the one that King had bitten and hitting him with an uppercut, knocking him out. The five remaining then all pulled out sub-machine guns. Cub leapt into the air and threw a Fangmerang. The Fangmerang flew in a circle, knocked the guns out of everybody's hands and then returned to Cub's hand. Half of the criminals' jaws dropped in awe, giving Cub a crucial chance to hit everybody with repeated punches and kicks. Unfortunately, the few that he had knocked out before had recovered and then tackled Cub from behind and pinned him down.

"You guys go and prepare our escape. We'll buy you some time." One of them shouted to three others. They immediately obeyed and raced to the vans. Cub found himself pinned to the ground by about three of the people he had been fighting before. However, he did have a way to escape

"King, attack!" King leapt at the thugs pinning Cub and bit them all at the ankles, forcing them off of Cub. They quickly recovered from the bites and ran towards the vans, climbing into them before Cub could reach them. The vans then sped off at high speed, but Cub was able to throw a tracker onto one of the vans. At the same time, he noticed the tracker that OxHorn had thrown earlier.

"Well, we weren't able to stop them, but we can now find out where they're hiding out." Cub said to himself as he watched the vans disappear from sight. He then leapt back into the Fangmobile, with King following. Once inside, he turned on a tracker to pinpoint the location of FoxFang, so he could lend some assistance.

"Now to find FoxFang."

* * *

FoxFang herself was still clinging onto the bottom of the helicopter. At the same time, she was climbing towards the door so she could climb inside. Her intention was to hijack the helicopter, take out everybody inside and deliver the helicopter, complete with captives, to the police. This would be easier safe than done, since the helicopter wasn't built for her and Cub like the Foxchopper was, but she knew that it could be done because Cub had done it before. She had made it to the door and was using a Fang dart to try and prize the door open. The people inside seemed oblivious to her presence, which made things easier for her. She ended up placing her head on the door in order to make it easier for her to hang on. As a result, she was able to overhear a conversation going on inside the helicopter.

"Boss, do you think that the foxes are out of our way?" Somebody asked.

"I doubt it. He's very tricky. You don't know where he'll appear." The boss replied.

"What do we do if he shows up again?"

"If he does, he can be a witness of the execution of our two captives." After hearing this, FoxFang began trying even harder to prize the door to the Helicopter open. Whoever was behind this had captives and was intending to execute them, no doubt by dropping them in the dip when it was ready.

"That is, unless a ransom is paid." The leader then added.

"When will you demand the ransom?"

"Tomorrow. $2,000,000 to save the city, an extra $4,000,000 to spare the two captives."

"How long will it take to develop enough of the substance?"

"At our facility, I'd estimate about a week. The town will have enough time to make the decision."

"It also gives the foxes enough time to track us down."

"Let him. If my hunch is correct, the knight toon and his companion can and will be destroyed by the dip. That will add another layer of terror on the city."

"Kill the Knight toons. We'll be famous if we did that!"

"Yes, and I will have my revenge for what happened the first time I met, just over 1 year ago." Fox Fang had heard enough to figure out the identity of the enemy behind the whole thing. It wasn't a person that she was expecting to pull a stunt like this. She had already figured out how he had gotten out, but now the task at hand was getting him back behind bars and rescuing the people he had captive without killing them in the first place. She put all of her strength in opening the helicopter door and spoiling the party for everybody.

* * *

After exerting all of her strength, FoxFang was able to open the door to the helicopter. Once the door was open, she forced herself inside and armed a Fangmerang, ready for any form of attack. The way she entered the helicopter closed the door at the same time, preventing anyone from escaping. Everybody in the helicopter turned around when they heard the door open and close. It was then that they realised that FoxFang had gained access to the helicopter. There were about 5 people there, including the leader of the group and the pilot of the helicopter. FoxFang immediately recognised the people that were in front of her. They were Rob, Lucius, Lupus and Winston, four of the wolves that se had defeated in her battle one year ago in order to save her parents. FoxFang was also able to recognise the helicopter pilot. It was Max, another wolf from the same incident.

"It the Fox!" Winston said

"How did he get into the helicopter at this height?" Lupus asked.

"It doesn't matter. Get him!" Lucius ordered. Lupus, Lucius and Winston drew their guns and aimed at FoxFang. The pilot continued flying the helicopter while the leader just sat there.

"Sorry that I have to crash the party fellas." FoxFang greeted.

"You won't be crashing any party fox!" Lupus scolded.

"Big words from a person that I trashed before."

"Lower your weapons." The leader said in a very cool tone. His men obeyed his instruction and lowered their weapons.

The leader then stood up from his seat and walked into the light. This allowed FoxFang's suspicions of the leader's identity to be confirmed; Caesar Feralo.

"So FoxFang, we meet again!" Caesar greeted.

"I never thought that I'd see your face again!" FoxFang scoffed.

"You certainly have changed since we last met. The first time that we met, you were a stealth artist."

"I still am. Be honest, did you know that I was clinging onto the helicopter all this time?" Caesar began to hesitate for a moment. FoxFang had put him on the spotlight. Caesar had no idea that FoxFang was on the helicopter all this time. In his mind, it explained an awful lot.

"Well… no. No I didn't."

"Just like you didn't know that I was wiping your men out the first time we met."

"That was a different situation. Last time I underestimated you and you caught me off guard. This time, I expected you to be coming. The question was when."

"I see that you're learning." Caesar scoffed a little. He then raised a hand. Everybody else stood up and pulled on some nearby backpacks, including Caesar.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we've got a formula to make up."

"I'm not letting you go anywhere!" FoxFang prepared to throw the Fangmerang that she had in her hand. Everybody stopped moving while Caesar took out a radio link.

"FoxFang, I have hostages at our base. All I have to do is send the order and I can kill them!" Caesar threatened.

"You wouldn't dare!" FoxFang scolded.

"I would dare. And correct me if I'm wrong, the superhero code says that saving civilians is more important than catching criminals. If my other men find out that I have been captured, the two that I have will be executed immediately!" FoxFang let out a growl in annoyance. Caesar was right, civilian lives came first. Even so, there was no way for Caesar to escape the helicopter, at least she thought. Caesar and his men stood a few feet away from FoxFang and in a clear area in front of her. Caesar then grabbed hold of a nearby lever on the side of the helicopter.

"I'll leave you to figure out how to get out of this." Caesar said with an evil smile. He pulled the lever and the floor beneath them opened, allowing them to fall out of the helicopter. FoxFang looked down and saw them deploy parachutes, which allowed them to float back down to the ground safely. She then felt the helicopter lurch violently. It was falling into a nose dive. FoxFang looked out of the front and saw that at the current trajectory, the helicopter was going to crash into the automated power plant that powered the city, unless she could do something about it.


	9. We need a plan

**We need a plan**

Caesar had gotten out of FoxFang's grasp by putting her in a difficult situation but now she was in another. If she didn't do something, the helicopter that she was in would crash into the automated power plant. This would destroy the power plant, knock out power to the whole city and possibly kill her as well. She had gone over to the controls of the helicopter but found herself facing the same problem that Cub had faced when he had to do a similar stunt in the January; the controls were too big for her to use effectively. Even so, she had to do everything that she could. She was then interrupted when her Fangwave sounded. Cub had found the helicopter and was driving nearby. He was contacting her. FoxFang took out her Fangwave and responded.

"FoxFang."

"FoxFang, are you ok?" Cub asked.

"Cub, I need to stop this helicopter from crashing into the power plant."

"I can see the helicopter. I have a plan to land the helicopter so we can obtain evidence, but first we need to save the power plant. Follow my directions and we can do this together."

"Right."

"Firstly, you'll need to raise the helicopter sharply so that it flies over the power plant. There isn't enough time or room to turn to the side." Cub was right. If the helicopter was turned, the blades would scrape against the power plant and cause it to crash. FoxFang kept the link to Cub open and pushed the control lever down sharply. The helicopter suddenly jolted and lurched upwards sharply, knocking FoxFang down to the floor but she quickly climbed back up. The helicopter in the meantime had climbed sharply and only just made it over the top of the power plant, with about 1 inch between the base of the helicopter and the roof of the power plant. However, the helicopter was climbing too high, so FoxFang very quickly climbed back up to the control lever and lowered it, levelling the trajectory of the helicopter to horizontal. There was now no danger of it hitting any buildings but there was still the matter of landing the helicopter safely. Cub was driving the Fangmobile on the ground below and had the helicopter in visual constantly. At the same time, he had to follow the road carefully so he didn't crash into anything himself. He was communicating to FoxFang with the Fangmobile's hands free communication system. Now that there was no danger of the helicopter crashing into anything, there was the matter of landing the helicopter. At the same time, he was looking at a map on the Fangmobile's screen to find a suitable place to land the helicopter. Eventually though, he was able to find a place. He had seen a large clearing to the left, large enough to allow a margin for error in the landing attempt.

"FoxFang, there is a clearing to the left of you. You can land the helicopter there." Cub instructed. FoxFang reached the steering system and steered the helicopter to the left in a similar way to how she had controlled the FoxChopper several times before. The helicopter turned successfully and began to head towards the clearing Cub had seen on the Fangmobile's screen. Eventually, FoxFang was able to see the clearing for herself. It was definitely large enough to land successfully even taking into account possible errors.

"I can see the clearing." FoxFang said into the Fangwave.

"Ok, landing the helicopter is going to be very similar to landing the FoxChopper. It will be difficult because of the size differences but the principle will be the same." Cub instructed. He took a shortcut and arrived at the clearing. The clearing was just grass, nothing else. It was a perfect place to land the helicopter. FoxFang then took control of the helicopter as best as she could. Cub was right; it was similar to landing the FoxChopper. It was still a struggle, but she was able to land the helicopter successfully. She did have a helping hand from Cub. He had driven the Fangmobile close to the landing site and fired his grapple gun towards the base of the helicopter. He then locked the grapple gun and used it to prevent the helicopter from drifting just in case something went wrong. As the helicopter was about to land, he unlocked the grapple gun and the line returned to him. He then jumped out of the Fangmobile and went over to the helicopter. The door then opened and FoxFang stepped out of the helicopter. She was almost exhausted from having to land the helicopter, even though Cub had given her help. She was so relieved when the helicopter had landed. If she wasn't in her outfit, she would've hugged Cub. She decided in her head to give him a hug when they got back to the Foxcave.

"Cub, thanks for your help." FoxFang said.

"No problem. Now we need to gather some evidence from the chopper." Cub replied.

"There's no need. I've met the person behind all of this. I need to tell everybody back at the Foxcave."

"Ok. We'll head back for now."

* * *

The two went from the site of where the helicopter had been landed to the Foxcave. FoxFang was slightly disturbed about the most recent development, though she had a good idea of how Caesar and his men had escaped from prison. She wasn't sure as to how everyone was going to react to this news. Zach himself had had bad experiences with Caesar's men. He was nearly killed by them. Daffy and Melissa were also wounded badly. She was expecting a reaction similar to the reaction that they had when they discovered that the formula printed off was the formula for the dip. In her mind, the situation was approaching a critical stage. Caesar had hostages that needed to be rescued. At the same time, they needed to stop him from unleashing the dip onto the city. She was thankful that they had a week rather than a day to stop him. However, this wasn't as much time as it seemed, so they still needed to hurry. The appearance of CatClaw wasn't helping at all. They team had too many things to worry about right now, and a limited time to sort everything out. When they were back at the Foxcave, the group gathered around the computer. While FoxFang and Cub were gone, Plucky, Shirley and Egghead Jr. were finding out as much as possible about Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene. Jessica and Zach had changed out of their outfits ad were now ready to start discussing the next steps.

"So… what have you found about the chemicals?" Zach asked.

"We have information about the chemicals. We're trying to create opposites to them now." Shirley explained.

"You guys do realise that you can't go against the dip head on don't you?" Plucky asked.

"What choice do we have? Whatever method we use, we could be killed." Zach said.

"Besides, we don't know who the person behind all this is." Shirley added.

"Not true." Jessica said. Everybody turned and looked at her. Jessica then stood up and looked up into the air. This was another moment that she was dreading. She had no idea of how everybody was going to react to the revelation of who the person behind this was.

"How do you know who the leader is?" Plucky asked.

"You know of the break in at the chemical plant don't you?"

"Yes, we were alerted about it by the Fangwave."

"When we got there, Jessica climbed into an escaping helicopter to try and stop the person behind this from escaping while I tried to stop the theft of the chemicals." Zach explained.

"Were you?" Jessica asked. Zach just sighed heavily before giving his response.

"I was overpowered and they got away, even with King's help." Zach gave a sympathetic look towards King as he said this. The fox was fast asleep next to Shirley, with Shirley stroking him gently. Jessica put an arm around him to stop him from getting too depressed.

"You did the best that you could."

"But I was able to attach a tracker to one of the vans. We can follow it now and find out where they are." Zach added. Egghead Jr. immediately took the hint and opened up an aerial view of the city and the surrounding forest. Almost immediately, a bleep appeared on the screen. The location was an area of land just outside the forest surrounding the town.

"The same area of land purchased by Barbara Lyle." Jessica said.

"Who?" Everybody asked.

"Someone at the auction I was at. That plot of land was the first item that went up. She brought it for $600,000." At the mention of the amount of money, everybody's jaw dropped. Jessica cracked a smirk and had to cover her mouth to hide it while everybody closed their mouths. Afterwards, they all looked cynically at Jessica, who had to suddenly stop smirking.

"Sorry." Jessica muttered.

"So Barbara Lyle is behind this." Plucky said.

"I don't think she's involved. She's a victim as the person behind this is using her land for the plan, probably without knowing that she owns the land."

"But if Barbara isn't behind all of this, who is?" Shirley asked. Jessica sighed deeply and sat back down.

"The person behind this is the first big enemy I faced, one year ago, Caesar Feralo."

* * *

Everybody in the room other than Egghead Jr. gasped when they heard Caesar's name. They all thought that he would not be heard from again. Zach then suffered a flashback to that incident one year ago when he was present when Caesar's men kidnapped Jessica's parents outside the supermarket. The resulting fight had left him in hospital and nearly robbed him of his life. Plucky and Shirley also remembered that incident. They attempted a rescue but ended up having to retreat. They also arrived on the scene when Daffy, Melissa and Zach were found unconscious after the attack. Jessica was also having flashbacks to that incident. She was holding them back ever since she had confronted Caesar in the helicopter but now they were coming through. She remembered her first fight against Caesar and his men. Now she was up against them again, and they seemed a lot more dangerous than before.

"Caesar is behind this?" Plucky asked. Jessica nodded.

"He also has hostages. I have no idea who but he used that threat to get away from me." Her head sunk into her hands and she began to sob. She was feeling guilty about letting Caesar get away. She stopped sobbing when she felt a reassuring hand touch her shoulder. She looked up and saw Zach next to her.

"Jessica, there was no way of preventing that. We have to put the pubic first, so you had to let Caesar get away in order to protect them." Zach explained.

"I'm sure I could've stopped him from getting away and saving his hostages."

"Look, if his other men got back to their base and their leader never returns, they would probably kill them before we could get to them in time." Jessica sighed, stood up and hugged Zach tightly. She had realised that he was right. There was nothing that she could've done. She was trying to be too ambitious because she wanted to end the situation early. They needed to formulate a plan in order to save everyone. Besides, she knew that Caesar didn't intend to kill his hostages for a week. That gave then some time.

"You're right Zach. We have to formulate a plan in order to save everyone." Jessica pulled away from the hug so they could discuss what they were going to do.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Shirley asked.

"I did overhear some of the conversation between Caesar and his men before I got onboard the helicopter. We have a week to rescue everybody and stop the dip."

"That isn't very long, but at least we have some time." Zach said.

"What did you find out about the substances that make up the dip?" Jessica asked Plucky and Shirley.

"Enough to start attempting to create opposites." Plucky replied.

"I don't know how long that will take though." Shirley added.

"But once you've created an opposite, we can use it to sabotage the dip, right?" Zach asked.

"Exactly."

"But we should come up with a back-up way to destroy the substance. If the opposite doesn't work, the city will be in major trouble." Jessica added.

"We'll get back to you on that." Plucky replied. They clearly hadn't thought of a back-up plan to destroy the substance.

"Do you know of anything else that might cause a problem?" Shirley asked.

"Actually yes. Caesar is going to make his demands tomorrow. I don't know if he's going to make a public demand or a private demand to the mayor." Jessica replied.

"I hope it's the latter. If he makes his demand publicly, it will cause a panic." Zach said.

"So do I Zach, so do I."


	10. Breakout

A/N: There's a dream sequence in this chapter. The dream is in _italics_.

**Breakout **

Runt and Rita were being held in a small prison cell located at the facility that Caesar had built. The cell that they were in only had one bed and two bowls. It was far worse than the kennels where they had first met. The bed, however, looked fairly comfortable. The door to the cell was an old-fashioned jail door. It had a small key lock that could only be accessed from the outside, but the door was all bars, almost no solidity. The bars were, however, so thin that Rita could not squeeze her body through. It reminded her of the time that she was trapped in the cattery next to the restaurant. The floor, however, was concrete and impossible for either of them to dig through. There wasn't an air vent for them to climb through or a grate on the floor for them to open and get out that way. There was a single wolf outside the cell. He had the keys to the cell hanging on his belt. He was leaning on the wall opposite the cell and having a little snooze. Runt was asleep, trying to sleep through the current events. Rita was wide-awake and at the bars on the cage door. She was angry about the kidnapping and sorrowful about being dragged away from Furball. Something in her head was telling her that Furball was coming but something else was telling her to get out now. Neither of them had any idea of what Caesar was planning because nobody had told them. Something was telling Rita that it would not be wise to find out, since it would be knowledge that was better off not knowing. That decision didn't solve the problem of whether she should try and get out now or wait for Furball. She already missed him. If she waited, she had no idea of how long she would have to wait, but if she didn't wait and tried an escape herself, there was a chance that she wouldn't make it out. But she then reached a thought, whatever option she chose; there was a possibility that she wouldn't make it. On that basis, she decided to try an escape attempt now. She saw that the guard outside was sleeping so they could get out now. The first thing she did was walk over to runt and shook his shoulder to wake him up. Runt looked up at Rita just like he had done several times before.

"Err, what is it Rita?" Runt asked in his usual voice. Rita placed a paw over his mouth to keep him quiet.

"Runt, we're breaking out now. I need you to be quiet." Rita explained.

"Oh, Ok Rita!" Rita clamped Runt's mouth shut before he woke up the guard outside. Rita then went over to the door to their cell. He then stuck her paw out between the bars and found the lock. She then put a claw into the lock and began trying to pick it, keeping an eye on the guard to be sure that he didn't wake up. Picking the lock with her claw was much harder than she first thought that it would be. She kept on trying though, keeping an eye on the guard outside. Eventually though, she saw the guard waking up. She quickly took her claw out of the lock and moved away from the cage and began to look innocent. The guard did eventually wake up. He woke up just in time to see another wolf approach the scene.

"Fell asleep again Max?" The new wolf asked.

"I did not fall asleep Rob!" Max snapped back.

"Oh yes he did!" Rita sang. This was part of an escape plan. She was hoping that she could fool the new guard into opening the door for her and Runt. Rob looked at Rita harshly.

"You keep quiet prisoner!"

"That is no way to treat a lady."

"Max, you go take a break. I'll sort out miss attitude." Max nodded and walked away from the scene, handing the cell keys to Rob. Rob took the keys and walked up to the cage door.

"Listen little lady, if you don't want to suffer a horrible fate, I wouldn't talk back to your captors!" Rita just blew on her paw and then rubbed it on her chest while leaning on the side of the cage.

"Ok big guy. If you're so tough, why did you have to gang up in order to capture us?" Rita had just put Rob on the spotlight. He didn't know how to react so he had to quickly ad-lib something. Runt was getting curious and was watching while keeping quiet.

"It makes things easier."

"I bet that you can't defeat me one on one." Rita was deliberately making Rob mad. She was hoping that he would open the cage himself. She was then intending to somehow knock Rob out and then make a run for it with Runt. So far, what she wanted was going as she had hoped. Rob had opened the cage out of anger and had come after her.

"So, you want to take me on then? I'll gladly accept your challenge, and beat you senseless." Anger had clearly taken over his senses as he was not thinking and had left the cell door open. He began a charge at Rita. Rita just sidestepped and watched as Rob crashed into the wall. She then took the cell keys from Rob and turned to Runt.

"Runt, let's go." Rita said. They both ran out of the cell but before they proceeded to try and find a way out, Rita closed the cell door and locked it, trapping Rob inside. The two then went down the corridor to try and find a way out.

* * *

Runt and Rita were going as quietly and as stealthily as they could. There were times that Rita had to practically drag Runt out of the way so they weren't spotted. It seemed as though the wolves were completely oblivious to the fact that they were escaping. Either that, or they appeared to be letting the two escape only to land a big punch on them later. Rita didn't have time to think about that possibility and Runt wasn't thinking about much at the moment. He was just following Rita like a dog (no joke intended). The place they were in was huge. They had passed several doors, which they dared not enter in case they wondered into somewhere that would put them in a room with a lot of wolves. They stuck with the corridors and ducked behind barrels and boxes in order to avoid being seen. Eventually though, they came across an open door. Curious, Rita took a peep inside. The room was completely empty of wolves but full of metal drums. It seemed like a perfect place to hide.

"Runt, in here." Rita whispered, leading him into the room and just out of sight of a passing wolf. The room they were in was full of metal drums; each one was labelled with a different chemical name. The two hid behind three drums at the corner of the room. There was a closed door at the other end of the room. The light was very limited but there was still enough for Rita to read the labels.

"Turpentine, Acetone, Benzene. Why do those names sound familiar to me?" Rita asked herself in self-thought.

"What are you saying Rita?" Runt asked.

"I'm wondering why those chemical names sound familiar to me."

"Err, what chemicals?"

"Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene."

"Err, I dunno."

"It doesn't matter for now. We can't stay here for ever Runt."

"Or do you want me to explain the chemical names?" A sinister voice asked. Rita immediately realised that they had been found. She looked upwards and saw their kidnapper looking down on her and Runt.

"I had these chemicals stolen from the chemical plant earlier tonight soon after I brought you here." Caesar explained.

"Who are you?" Rita asked.

"My name is Caesar Feralo. And by this time next week, I will be the richest person in the city."

"And why would people give you all of their money?"

"My lady, I don't want all of their money. Just an awful lot of it. And they'll give me the money because I have these chemicals on my side."

"I have heard of these chemicals before, but I don't know what they make. What could scare the city into giving you so much money that's made from these chemicals?"

"Why the dip of course." Rita went silent when she heard the name. Like everyone else, she knew of the substance. She didn't know what the dip composed off but she had obviously heard about the substances, only forgetting about them. Now that she knew what they made, she didn't know what to think. Runt was just as silent. He didn't know what the chemicals alone did but he knew what the dip did. Both him and Rita gulped while looking up at Caesar.

"You would destroy everybody in this city?" Rita asked.

"Even if I don't destroy everyone, there's one person that I would particularly like to destroy with the dip."

"Who?"

"Why FoxFang. I'm certain that he can be destroyed by the dip when it is made."

"You haven't made it yet?"

"We have some, but not enough to threaten the city. For the moment, all I need is enough to spread some terror. As soon as the knight toon arrives, he will be dissolved."

"But why do you need us?"

"That is none of your concern. Now you will return to your cage."

"What? And wait to be dipped? No thank you!" Rita jumped up and slashed Caesar's face. While Caesar was distracted, Rita rushed away and forced the other door open. Runt clued up and followed her. The door led to the outside. Rita could see the forest and the road that would obviously lead back to the city.

"Come on Runt!" Rita shouted. She began running towards the road. Runt tried to follow but a recently recovered Caesar suddenly grabbed him. Rita didn't realise that Runt had been caught and kept on running. She only realised that Runt wasn't with her when she reached the forest. She looked back and saw Runt disappear inside the huge building from the door that she had escaped from.

"Oh no. I can't save him by myself. I have to go and get Furball." Rita said before running back to the city following the road.

* * *

All the way back at her home, Jessica had retired for the night, figuring that nothing else would happen. She was in her bed trying to get some sleep but was having difficulty in doing so. She kept on rolling from side to side and opening her eyes. This was because of the fear caused by the discovery that the dip was being made. However, when she did finally get to sleep, she had a very worrying dream.

_The dream began with just her relaxing in a beautiful field. She was laying down in the grass, with several flowerbeds surrounding her on a beautiful sunny day and the sounds of birds chirping in the trees. She was looking up into the sky and breathing the fresh air in while tanning herself. It was a paradise, just her and nobody else. It gave her some time to herself, which she needed considering what was going on right now. But sadly, the paradise didn't last. Somebody moved over her and blocked the sunlight._

_"Oh, move please…" Jessica moaned before looking up and saw who was looking over her… the grim reaper. She instinctively rolled away, turned and looked at the angel of death._

_"Do not worry Jessica, I am not here to take you away." The grim reaper said. This surprised Jessica, and she finally stood up and looked at the grim reaper._

_"What?"_

_"I have to give you a warning about your upcoming battle."_

_"My upcoming battle, what about it?"_

_"I have been observing the timelines. Someone you know and trust is not going to make it out of the battle alive."_

It was at that point that Jessica woke up from her dream. She began sweating heavily in her bed and looked around, seeing her room. She eventually realised that it was only a dream, but she was still disturbed about it. Something in her mind was telling her that it was not just a dream… but also a prophecy.


	11. Negotiations

**Negotiations **

After a very long trek along the road through the forest, and surprisingly without any trouble from any possible pursuing vehicles, Rita found herself on the outskirts of town in the early hours of the morning. She had been walking for the whole night in order to get back. She was missing Furball deeply and was now ready for Runt, one of her first true friends. She felt terribly guilty about having to leave him but it was much wiser than going back in an attempt to save him there and then. If they were both captured, their chances of rescue would be reduced but now that Rita had gotten back to town, she could get some help. And she knew the perfect person to get help from. She began walking back all the way to Furball's house. It was a long walk away so it would've taken a long time if a passing car hadn't stopped close to her. The car that stopped was a very plain blue ford escort. On instinct, she backed away, worried that the people in the vehicle would be taking her away again. She readied a claw ready for the possibility of having to fight, even though she was exhausted. The door to the car opened and, to Rita's relief, Minerva Mink looked out of the car. Rita put her claw away and looked up at Minerva.

"Rita, what are you doing here?" Minerva asked.

"Long story Minerva, long story." Rita asked.

"Did you want a lift somewhere?"

"I would actually. I need to go somewhere quite urgently." Rita went to the back door and climbed inside Minerva's car. Minerva looked over the back of her seat and at Rita.

"Where to?"

"I need to get to Furball's house. You know where that is don't you?"

"I know where he lives. I sometimes have to go on a house call to his neighbour." Saying no more, Minerva drove through the city and eventually arrived at the street where Furball lived. Rita saw that the house had recovered from what had happened the night before. Eve so, the house had a feeling of sadness about it. It seemed as though the sadness that Rita was expecting Furball to be going through right now was coming through the house. It was either that or her sadness about having to abandon Runt was creating a mental illusion. Rita decided not to think about it and go see Furball. She opened the car door and proceeded to climb out of the car.

"Thanks for the lift Minerva." Rita said.

"Say hello to Furball for me." Minerva replied before driving away. Rita took a deep breath and knocked on the door. As she did so, it swung open. For some reason, Furball hadn't locked it last night, possibly due to his depression. Rita cautiously walked inside the house and eventually saw Furball fast asleep on the couch. He had obviously sat on the couch and fallen asleep on it, not locking the door before falling asleep. Rita saw that he had a tracker in his hand and had a map spread out in front of him. Perhaps he was trying to devise a rescue plan of sorts. The plan would still need to be carried out in order to save Runt, but now Rita had to let Furball know that she was ok. She went over to him, sat on the couch next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Furball shuddered a little but stayed asleep. Rita kept her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. Eventually though, Furball woke up very slowly. He looked around the room only half awake and didn't quite recognise Rita immediately. He noticed her and looked at her until he was awake enough to recognise her. When he did, his eyes bolted open. The next moment, he leapt forward and into Rita's arms. Rita hugged Furball back as tightly as she could as she fell backwards.

"Rita, you're ok!" Furball exclaimed.

"Furball, I'm fine." Rita replied. The two let go of each other while Rita's eyes showed a look of sorrow again, making Furball concerned.

"But Runt is still being held captive." Rita said.

"Don't worry, I can save him." Furball said.

"Furball, you're going to need a plan. I don't want to lose you to those criminals."

"What do you mean by that?" Rita took a very deep breath. What she had to say now was a very difficult thing that she had to say and she was worried as to how Furball would take it. Even so, she had to say so that their friends could be warned of the impending danger.

"Furball, the people who kidnapped me and Runt are making the substance known as dip." Furball remained absolutely silent, as if Rita had told him that he had been dumped. But this news was just as bad, and even more terrifying. Like all toons, he knew of the dip but never thought he would end up against the lethal substance. There was a silence for about 5 minutes. The only thing that could be heard was the ticking of a clock and the occasional car. The silence was eventually broken by Furball speaking.

"What do we do?"

"I think we should warn our friends of the upcoming danger." Rita said.

"But we also need to save Runt and, if possible, destroy the dip."

"I know. We need to find the properties of what it's made from."

"Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene, right?"

"Yeah. I saw the chemicals at the base."

"I'll do some research. You get warning our friends."

"Right."

* * *

At the mayor's office, the mayor was sitting at his desk on the phone. He had just received a phone call from Caesar Feralo, who had made his demands clear to the mayor. The mayor was now on the phone to Lucy at the police station. They were discussing the current situation and what the next steps should be. So far, they hadn't heard anything from FoxFang and were a little concerned for their safety. They knew about the fight outside the chemical plant and the helicopter incident because they had arrived on the scene themselves soon after FoxFang and cub left. Seeing no sign of either of the duo, they began to worry, not even thinking about contacting them. This was partly because they were too concerned with the safety of the city regarding the presence of the dip.

"Lucy, Caesar is threatening to unleash the dip on the entire city." The mayor explained.

"You told us mayor, but we've still not had any word from FoxFang."

"What do we do? Evacuate several million people?"

"I think we should have some faith in the duo. You said that once before that we should have faith in them. You did make them honorary deputies."

"Nobody's perfect. We do need to expect an occasional failure. You should know that from the Miss. Ice incident."

"You're right. It is possible that they got wounded in the battle and are recovering right now."

"You should contact them as soon as we finish."

"I think I'll do that."

"But for now, we should think about trying to locate where Caesar is right now."

"How did he escape though? We had him and his men under heavy guard."

"I'll bet he broke out when the Pranker attacked the prison earlier this year. But right now, that isn't important."

"You're right. What is important is that we get Caesar back behind bars."

"Should we call in the army or what?"

"I say we wait for FoxFang's advice. I'll admit that he does lose the occasional battle, but he always gets his man."

"Like I said, I'll contact him as soon as we're finished."

"You should also ask how Caesar got away from FoxFang anyway."

"I think I know. Caesar said that he has a hostage. He probably told FoxFang that he could kill the hostage easily and used that threat to escape."

"Did Caesar say who he has captive?" Before the mayor could answer, another phone in his office began ringing. The mayor looked around and realised that the phone that was ringing was the red urgency phone kept in the draw.

"Lucy, I'll have to call you back. The urgency phone is ringing." The mayor hung up the main phone and opened the draw containing the urgency phone. The phone was blood red all over and labelled 'urgency phone'. The mayor looked at the phone and answered it.

"Hello, mayor's office urgency line… FoxFang!" The mayor answered.

* * *

Back at her house, Jessica was sitting on her bed with her Fangwave in her hand. She had called the mayor, as she needed to have a rather urgent talk with him. The voice changer was on and Jessica's parents were still asleep. They had no idea of the current threat, as Jessica hadn't told them. She didn't want to worry them too much. But for now, she needed to sort a few things out with the mayor.

"Have you heard from Caesar?" Jessica asked, allowing the voice changer to disguise her voice.

"Yes, I have heard from him. We have a week until he unleashes the dip onto the city." The mayor replied.

"Did he say anything about the hostages?"

"According to Caesar, they're still alive. He says he's going to dip them if his demands aren't met."

"Ok. We have located where he is hiding."

"Where is he hiding then?"

"He's in some kind of factory located outside the forest."

"When do you plan on going to bring him to justice then?"

"Not until our anti-dip formula is ready. If we go as is, we'll probably be killed. It should be ready for tomorrow night."

"Then you're going to launch a rescue operation then."

"That we will. But we might need some help."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We'll forward the location of the factory to the police. We'll let you guys decide on what to do next."

"Would you object if we sent some armed officers to help you?" This was a question that Jessica wasn't expecting. She and Zach didn't normally work hand in hand with the police, but in this kind of situation, their support might be needed. Jessica decided to talk to the others later and then make a decision.

"Normally, we work alone, but in this situation, we'll think about your offer. If we accept, we request that they follow our instructions."

"I'll be sure that they will be. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"

"Just leave the rest to us. We'll have everything sorted out for tomorrow night. It would be wise to start preparing an evacuation scheme in the unlikely event that we fail, even though we don't intend to."

"Will do. I'll leave it all in your hands." The mayor then hung up on his end, leaving Jessica alone in her room. She was relieved about the discussion with the mayor and thankful that they now had back up. They still needed a back-up plan for destroying the dip just in case the anti-dip didn't work. That would involve more research into the chemicals to figure out if there was a property regarding them that could be used to their advantage. She was also worried about the dream that she had had during the night. She had no idea of what it meant. She hoped to herself that it was only a dream. She was also debating in hr mind whether she should tell anyone about it or not. She knew that she would have to have a long discussion with her parents before the big battle, as there was a risk that she would not survive. She had no intention of failing but the thought plagued her mind. It was probably because even she feared the dip. There was no toon that didn't though. In fairness, she didn't want to have to talk to her parents about the threat but wanted to explain as to why she might not be back. For the rest of the day though, she was going to try and put on a brave face and enjoy the day, whether it was going to be the last few days or not. She slipped on a dressing gown and went into the lounge to wait for her parents.


	12. Information leak

**Information leak**

While Jessica was waiting for her parents to wake up, she grabbed a comic to read to try and put her dream and current events out of her mind as much as possible. She also kept half an ear listening for any sign of her parents waking up. She also decided to put the television on just to be sure that the mayor had kept the information regarding the dip confidential. She knew that if that information got into public domain, there would be utter chaos. So far though, it didn't appear as though the information was still top secret. However, the helicopter crash had caught the media's attention. That was one of the pieces of news that was brought up on the morning news show.

"Last night, a helicopter crashed in a clearing near the automated power station. Reports show that nobody was injured in the crash but a search has shown no sign of the people involved in the crash. Experts believe that if the helicopter had crashed into the power plant, the entire city would be out of power for a whole week. On a related incident, the same helicopter was seen at a chemical plant involved in a break in. The break in also involved several vans, one of which was seen in a street earlier in the evening. When asked about the incident, the police refused to give any comment." The newsreader said. Jessica smiled to herself. So far, they were keeping their end of the deal by keeping the situation classified. She was also beginning to worry a little. She was beginning to think that some of the quicker people would guess as to what was going on. If they let it slip, the situation would probably reach an uncontrollable situation. The rest of the news was of little interest, other than the other break in by CatClaw. Soon afterwards, Bugs' bedroom door opened and Bugs stepped out and into the lounge. Jessica looked over from where she was sitting and Bugs came and sat down next to her.

"Morning dad." Jessica greeted.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough."

"Jess, considering your little responsibility behind the scenes, perhaps it might be a good idea to take a nap during the day at some point."

"Dad, I'm fine."

"Jess, I know that you have a big responsibility, but not enough sleep is not good for anyone." Jessica had a think about this. She wasn't aware of the fact that not much sleep could be bad for her. She had been too focused on solving the current dilemma over the previous night and too focused on taking out any criminals that appeared over the previous few months. Occasionally, she did fall asleep during the day. This was often during the lunch break when she was at the looniversity.

"It would depend on what we're doing during the day though. I never thought of that point." Before Bugs could reply, the telephone rang. Bugs stood up and answered the phone. Jessica turned her attention back to her comic. She didn't pay any attention to the conversation that her father was having on the phone. If she had, she would've noticed her father's expression changed dramatically at a certain point or notice him fall very silent. She did hear him finish the conversation though and turned back to look at him approaching her again. He sat back down on the sofa next to her. She could tell that there was a look of fear in his eyes, a look that she very rarely saw from him. It was almost as if he had been told some bad news about Lola.

"Is something wrong?" Jessica asked.

"Jess, that was Babs on the phone. She just told me something that I can't quite believe. I need to ask you about it." Bugs replied.

"Ok, what is the problem?" Bugs didn't want to tell Jessica the news just in case she didn't know about it and it scared her, but he had to. As the city's protector, she would have to know what he had just heard from Babs. He quickly turned his head towards his bedroom to be sure that Lola was still asleep, as he didn't want to frighten her.

"Jess, Babs just told me that somebody has stolen the formula and the ingredients for the dip. Is this true." Jessica fell silent. She knew about the dip but she was alarmed that Babs had found out. The question that began to plague her mind was how Babs had found out. This was going to mean a meeting with the group to discuss the situation but for now she just stood up, walked to the television and turned it off.

"Eh, is something wrong Jess?" Bugs asked. Jessica turned and looked at her father. Her look was that of anger and not fear, which was what he was expecting.

"There is a problem actually Dad." Jessica began walking towards her father. "As per our request, and at Zach's recommendation, that is classified information. How did Babs find out about that?"

"According to Babs, she found out from Rita." After hearing this, Jessica's eyes lit up instantly. This added a complication that she could do without.

"Rita escaped!" Now it was Bugs' turn for his eyes to light up. He had no idea that Rita was a captive. The situation was already over his head.

"She was captured?" Jessica realised that Bugs didn't know what was going on and decided to explain.

"Last night, there was a raid at Furball's house. Runt and Rita were captured as a result but from what you've just said, she's escaped. We know that the people who captured them were the same people who have the dip formula. Rita must've seen the ingredients while she was escaping and is now telling everyone. This is going to cause a panic."

"Jess, do you know who is behind this?" Jess had a think for a moment. She didn't want to tell Bugs who was behind this for two reasons. Firstly and more importantly it was classified, but now that Rita had spread news of the dip, they couldn't keep the situation a secret for much longer. The second reason was because she was worried as to how he would react to knowing that the person behind this was the person who had held him and Lola hostage just over a year ago.

"Dad, I'm not sure whether I should really be telling you. I'll wait and confer with my allies later and then make a decision." Jessica finally replied.

"Ok Jess."

* * *

At Furball's house, Rita had finished alerting their friends about what she had found out. She had neglected to say what else was going on and who was behind everything. She certainly didn't tell anybody that Runt was still being held captive, something that she felt really guilty about. However, she had omitted this detail so as to prevent people from coming round with presents of sympathy and possibly ruining the rescue plan that they were devising. Rita was looking at a map and the tracker that had located the location of the base. She had found the area where the base was on the map and had marked it with a highlighter pen. Furball was busy at the computer researching Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene as best as he could. So far, he hadn't found anything out that they could use to his advantage and he was slightly rushing, out of concern for Runt's safety. He knew that Rita and Runt were best of friends and hate to think of how Rita would react if the dip killed Runt, so he wanted to save Runt as possible. He also wanted to play the hero before FoxFang got the glory. That's why he was researching the ingredients for the dip. He was trying to find a weakness in the formula that could be exploited. After searching the net for a few minutes and looking at all the information, he eventually found a weakness. Seeing the flaw, he leapt off of the computer chair and went over to Rita. Rita was now noting down a few things from what little she saw of the inside of the base. She was writing anything down that she thought would help Furball in his rescue mission, including a vague map drawn from memory of the route that she had taken. She did notice Furball suddenly sit down next to her.

"Furball, did you find out anything?" Rita asked.

"I have actually. I've found the dip's big weaknesses." Furball replied.

"Have you? What?"

"Rita, I've found that all of the substances that make up the dip are all highly flammable." Rita looked up all of a sudden.

"What?"

"The chemicals will burn incredibly well. I'm thinking that the dip is also a bomb just waiting for a flame to set it off."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that if I set the dip alight, I can destroy the dip by burning all of the chemicals."

"Furball, that is a very dangerous option."

"Have you got a better idea?" Rita thought for a moment. She hadn't done any research on the substances so she had to take Furball's word that the dip was highly flammable. However, she couldn't shake off an unshakable fear in her mind. If Furball went ahead with his plan, there was a risk that he could be killed in the resulting fire and possible explosion, not to mention Runt. She didn't want anybody to die, especially the ones closest to her. However, she didn't really care about those that had kidnapped her and Runt in the first place. She would be happy to see them get killed just for what they had done, and a big fire would be a good way to get rid of them.

"I don't know what else to suggest." Rita replied.

"Then I say we go with my idea. I'll go tonight." Rita remained very silent. She didn't like the plan but she couldn't think of anything else. She turned and hugged Furball tightly.

"Please be careful Furball." Furball hugged Rita back tightly. Truth be told, he wasn't too keen on his own idea either but, like he said, he couldn't think of any other way. Destroying the dip by burning it seemed to be the easiest and quickest way to destroy it, but he had to ensure that he could get out with Runt before he would blow up the base.

"Rita, I will be careful, but please be prepared that I might not make it back." Rita nodded silently and gave Furball a tight kiss on the lips, surprising Furball. Furball gave into the kiss and returned it gracefully. If it was to be their last kiss, they might as well make it one to remember. Now that they had some sort of plan, he did feel a little calmer about the situation, but he was still nervous. He could tell that Rita was nervous by the way she was kissing him. It was tighter and she was putting more effort into it, as if she somehow knew that it would be their last one.

* * *

That night, in Barbara Lyle's flat, Barbara Lyle was at the table with a large map in front of her. Near her was her son Bill, half dressed in the CatClaw outfit. The curtains were closed and the door was locked so nobody could see what was going on. The map they had in front of them was a map of the forest. They had marked the location of their property on the map and next to the map was a printout of the facility that had been built on their property. They had spent most of the day preparing for tonight's operation by carefully observing the facility. Despite the observation, they had no idea of what was happening at the facility and nobody had told them about what was happening there.

"Bill, remember. I need you to take up stealth at the highest level you can." Barbara instructed.

"I know mother." Bill replied, rather frustrated, as he wanted to go and get the information that they needed quickly.

"I suspect that there will be some kind of vent in the facility that you can use to gain entry. Once you're inside, I need you to find out what they're up to."

"If I find anything of value, I'll be sure to bring it back to show you."

"Ok. I don't want you to come back empty handed. We need the information so we can save the wildlife in the forest."

"I know. I'll be back." With that, Bill put on the CatClaw mask and disappeared through the skylight, leaving Barbara in the room alone.

"This should be no problem to you Bill."


	13. Kitty mess

**Kitty mess**

"Yes mayor. We know what happened regarding that." FoxFang said into her Fangwave. She was in the Foxcave talking to the mayor. The mayor had received word of the fact that the information regarding the dip had been leaked and had called FoxFang to ask what had happened. Elsewhere in the Foxcave, Zach was keeping away from the conversation while idly rubbing one of his Fangdarts, almost as if he was trying to take his mind of something. He hadn't told anyone yet, but he had an unshakable fear of losing Jessica to the dip. He didn't want to tell her just in case he worried her, since he didn't want to accept it himself. Unfortunately, him mind kept on telling him that this was going to be their last night together. He tried to convince himself otherwise but was finding it difficult. He was also thinking about something that had happened earlier. He now knew that Rita had escaped because she called Melissa and told him. Melissa never told Zach, but he overheard the conversation. He wanted to discuss with Jessica as on what to do about the situation. Egghead Jr. was still at the computer working on the anti-dip. It wasn't quite ready, since Egghead Jr. was still creating the chemicals that could oppose the dip. Plucky and Shirley were nearby, looking at some historical records that they had hired out from the city library. They were looking for anything that could help them in the upcoming battle. Rita had told them about the dip as well, not knowing that they already knew. They acted like they did when they first found out about the dip when she told them but afterwards decided to tell everyone when they got to the Foxcave. King was just sleeping on the ground, like he normally did. Although she was talking to the mayor, FoxFang had some things on her mind herself. She wanted to go talk to Rita about what had happened. In her mind, Rita had done what she thought was right and hadn't realised the dilemma that she was causing. She wanted to explain this to the mayor so the police didn't do anything hasty. Once she was finished talking to the mayor, she intended to have a group meeting to discuss the earlier chat with the mayor. She wanted to hear the group's opinion on having police back up when they eventually went to take on Caesar. She personally wasn't too happy about it but she would look like an arrogant idiot to refuse without reason, especially considering the situation.

"So, how did the information get out?" The mayor asked over the Fangwave.

"Something I did not expect happened. One of Caesar's captives escaped from his hideout. She then spread the word about what was happening."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I know who escaped. We'll go and talk to her about what has happened and get some information from her at the same time."

"Very well. Have you decided on whether you want some back up yet or not?"

"Not yet. As soon as we've decided, I'll let you know." With that, FoxFang hung up the link to the mayor and removed her mask. She had used her mask so she didn't need to use the Fangwave's voice changer. Now she was ready to talk with everyone to decide on the next steps. The issue with Rita was the most important thing to discuss, but she did know that everyone in the Foxcave other than Egghead Jr. knew what had happened. She knew this because they had sent her a message with the Fangwaves. Now they had to decide on the appropriate course of action and plan for the future raid on Caesar's base. Soon after Jessica had finished her conversation with the mayor, everybody gathered around in a group for the discussion that was bound to happen. Everybody was worried in his or her own way about the situation.

"Ok, we all know about Rita's escape don't we?" Jessica asked just to confirm that everybody did know. Everybody other than Egghead Jr. nodded. Egghead Jr. turned away from his work to listen in on the conversation.

"What were you intending to do?" Shirley asked.

"Rita could provide us with some useful information."

"But we still need to inform her that the information was classified and that she was a little careless." Zach said.

"I don't know that we should tell her that she was careless. She did what she thought was right."

"Definitely tell her that she was spreading classified information though."

"That definitely, even though she didn't know."

"But what do you think you'll ask Rita?" Plucky asked.

"Probably how she escaped and if she found anything out about what's going on at the base." Zach replied.

"Jess, Zach. You two don't seem happy. Are you ok?" Shirley suddenly asked. Both rabbits went very quiet. I was like the previous night when they discovered the dilemma that they were faced with, this time without a gulp. The two just looked at each other, back at Shirley and then back at each other.

"I'll tell you later" Both of them said simultaneously, causing them to burst out into giggles for a brief moment.

"There is something else I need to ask everyone." Jessica said.

"What?" Zach asked.

"Earlier when I spoke to the mayor, he offered if we would like some possible back up from the police. What do you guys think?"

"It's not normally our style to fall back on some back up."

"But considering the situation, it might be a good idea." Shirley said.

"I know. That's why I wanted to ask you guys first." Jessica replied.

"I say we make a decision after seeing to Rita." Zach suggested.

"In which case, let's go and talk to Rita before we do anything."

* * *

All the way at the Factory that Caesar was using to create the dip, OxHorn had been able to sneak into an air vent. He had gone the whole way to the factory on foot but was still going. A life of a friend of his was on the line, so he couldn't give up. So far he was following some heavy stealth procedures, only knocking out the wolves that got too close. He had also gotten rather lost in the huge facility and had found himself in an office. The room was completely empty of people but there was a desk and a few filing cabinets in the room. OxHorn did wonder who owned the office. He decided to take advantage of the situation by rummaging through the filing cabinets. Among the documents he had found, there was a copy of the dip formula and a few meeting agenda's. Of the most interest though was a plan of the facility. He had this spread out on the desk and was looking over it. He hadn't located the office he was in yet because it appeared as though there were several offices. Other buildings in the facility included a meeting room, the mixing rooms to make the dip and, most importantly, the location of the cell where Runt would be being held. He continued to look at the plan to try and figure out where he was when he heard the door open. He quickly turned around, prepared to have to fight, but saw nobody. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the pan that was in front of him, only to see it disappear right from his view. He then saw another figure in the room, CatClaw. He was holding the plans in his hand and looking mock-sweetly at OxHorn. 

"Mind if I burrow this?" CatClaw asked.

"Cat, if you don't let me have that, people's lives are going to be in danger." OxHorn snapped.

"And the lives of nature are at risk if I don't have it."

"What is more important? The lives of people or nature?"

"That doesn't even deserve an answer cutie." OxHorn flinched at CatClaw's words. CatClaw began to approach OxHorn in a flirtatious manner, like he had done to FoxFang before. OxHorn slapped CatClaw in defence and tried to grab the plans from his hand. With a sharp yank, OxHorn pulled the plans out of CatClaw's hand.

"You're such a sour puss." CatClaw said. He then pulled out his whip and lashed at OxHorn. OxHorn leapt out of the way and then leapt at CatClaw while spinning wildly. CatClaw dodged this attack and used his whip to pull the plans out of OxHorn's hand. CatClaw then tried to run but got pinned by OxHorn. CatClaw made a sudden roll ad twist so he was pinning OxHorn to the ground.

"You should be in the field grazing Oxy." OxHorn responded to that remark by doing a similar movement so he was pinning CatClaw again.

"Perhaps you should consider being somebody's pet Pussy. There's too many masked people in this city already." OxHorn said. He then grabbed the plans and headed for the door to go and find Runt. CatClaw wasn't done though. He suddenly lashed his whip and it wrapped around the plans. What ensued next was a tug of war. The tug of war lasted for about 2 minutes and ended when the plans tore down the centre, leaving both OxHorn and CatClaw with half a plan each.

"That was your fault cat!" OxHorn shouted.

"Sour puss." CatClaw retorted. They would've proceeded to fight if the base alarm hadn't sounded. Both masked fighters turned to find their exit blocked by wolves. All of them had their guns aimed right at them.

"Hey, these aren't the knight toons." One of them said.

"It doesn't matter who they are. Get them!" Another instructed. CatClaw lashed at one of them with his whip while OxHorn did a leaping spin attack to plough right through them. CatClaw was able to get past them by using his whip to leap over them. The two then went opposite directions in order to get out. While he was running, OxHorn looked at the half of the plan that he had obtained. Unfortunately, his half didn't have the location of the cell so he couldn't find Runt.

"Damm that cat. It spoilt my rescue mission. I have to retreat for now." OxHorn muttered to himself. He immediately saw a vent and leapt into it and away from his pursuers. CatClaw on the other hand had a similar run of bad luck. The half of the plan that he had obtained didn't have the locations of the mixing rooms so he couldn't find out what it was that they were making. He used his whip to reach a high level in the corridor and evade his pursuers. He had however figured out that they were mixing chemicals and making a mixture, even though he didn't know that it was the dip. That was at least something that he could report back to his 'commander'.

"Wolves, the next time I come here, you won't be so lucky. And Ox, if we meet again, I'll pull your horns out through your face." CatClaw scolded before leaping into a nearby vent to exit the facility.

* * *

All the time that this was going on, Rita was waiting patiently for OxHorn's return. While she was waiting, she was pacing in the garden getting slightly worried. She hoped that nothing had happened to him but something told her that he wouldn't make it back from this battle. She had hoped that she would but something kept filling her with dread. If OxHorn didn't make it back alive, she didn't know what she would do. She was so busy thinking about this that she didn't notice FoxFang and Cub leapt onto the roof. She only realised that they were there when they leapt down and FoxFang put a hand on her shoulder. When she felt this, her heart skipped a beat. She had a mixture of emotions at that point. They were fear out of the possibility that it would be the wolves and joy about the possibility that it was OxHorn with Runt. She turned her head and both emotions vanished when she realised that it was FoxFang and Cub. When she saw them, she was awash with disappointment, some sadness and a little confusion as to why FoxFang and Cub would come to visit her. 

"Rita, we need to talk to you." FoxFang greeted. Rita decided that she could ask for their help to rescue Runt and OxHorn. She latched onto FoxFang and grabbed his chest.

"FoxFang, I need your help. Runt has been captured by criminals and…" Rita began to explain in a semi-panic but Cub cut her off while FoxFang pushed her away

"We know about that."

"We also know that you were telling people about the dip during the course of today." FoxFang added. Rita fell a little silent. She began to wonder how FoxFang and Cub knew about what she had been doing. She then began thinking that if they wanted to talk to her about that, then she had made a terrible mistake.

"Was there a problem with that?" Rita asked.

"Yes there was. That was classified information." Rita gulped when she heard this. She didn't know that the information she was giving out was classified. She thought she was doing a reasonable thing. He began to back away nervously from FoxFang and Cub, fearing arrest all of a sudden.

"We should arrest you for spreading such information, but as it stands we need your help." Cub added.

"Wha?" Rita asked in slight confusion.

"Rita, while you were at your kidnappers' base, what did you see?" FoxFang asked. Rita didn't know how FoxFang and Cub knew that wolves were involved but she decided not to argue with them. Besides, any information they gave might be use3ful to them if they did go and fight against the wolves.

"All I remember seeing were containers containing Turpentine, Acetone and Benzene."

"And how did you escape?"

"I was able to get out through a door that led to the storage room. Runt was captured by the wolves but I was able to get away."

"Ok. Thank you for your information."

"Please save Runt! He was my only friend for years."

"We'll do our best Miss. Rita."

"One more thing. We understand your good intentions, but the next time you get into that kind of trouble, don't let anyone know about any information you discover until it has been dealt with just in case it's classified. This time we're going to let you off, but next time we won't be so forgiving." Cub added. With that, FoxFang and Cub just left, leaving Rita all alone. She was surprised by FoxFang and Cub's sudden appearance and worried about what they had just told her. She didn't realise the extent of what she had done by telling people about the dip but now that she knew, she wasn't going to mention it again. All she could do was wait for OxHorn's return, hopefully with some good news.


	14. Last night alive?

**Last night alive?**

After the unfortunate fiasco at the wolves' base, CatClaw had returned to his home with one half of the plans that he had obtained. He and Barbara had the plan spread out over the table trying to figure out what they could based on what CatClaw had found out. By now, Bill had changed out of his outfit and had hidden it away. Barbara had ensured that nobody could gain access while they were studying the plans. Bill was also thinking about his encounter with OxHorn. Another masked fighter was the last thing he was expecting. He had thought that he, FoxFang and Cub were the only masked figures around, but this encounter had proved otherwise. This added another complication that he didn't want. He had no idea of what OxHorn wanted with the plans. He suspected that he was trying to stop whatever they were making because of what OxHorn had said to him. The half of the plan that he had didn't have the mixing rooms that they wanted, but it had the location of the cell where Runt was being held. Neither of them knew that the cell was occupied and there was no note on the plan to show that it was occupied. They weren't concerned with any threats to the city population; they were more concerned with finding out what they were making and seeing whether it posed a threat to the native life in the surrounding forest. Because of this, they were both oblivious and ignorant of the danger that was threatening the city. They were more concerned with their own agenda than what was going on in the city.

"So, what actually happened to the plans for it to be torn in half?" Barbara asked.

"I got into some fight with another masked fighter." Bill replied.

"FoxFang?"

"Not FoxFang or Cub. This one looked like an Ox. This Ox said that people's lives were in danger if he didn't have the plans. The plans tore during the struggle."

"Then what happened?"

"Soon after the plans tore, we were both found by guards. That's when I made my escape."

"I suspect that Ox will make another attempt. Perhaps you could swap plans." Bill stepped backwards and had a think. He didn't like the idea of having to work with the Ox, but the Ox has something that he wanted. On the other hand, he had something that the Ox wanted. He could also see the Ox becoming a rival in the future, not realising what the Ox was fighting for. He thought that OxHorn was like him, a criminal with a strong feeling deep down.

"I'll think about it for the next time I meet him." Bill finally replied.

"Bill, I want you to go to that facility again tomorrow night. I have a strong hunch that that Ox will be there again, trying to do what he's doing. That's when you will be able to make a trade, his half of the plan for your half of the plan."

"Then I can find out what the wolves are doing and if it's a threat to the wildlife."

"If it is a threat, you know what to do don't you, right?"

"Yep, destroy that base from the inside and destroy the chemicals."

"And after that, you can go back to annoying the Fox if you wish."

"That will be fun for me." Bill smiled at the thought. He liked battling FoxFang, just based on his encounters' so far. He figured that he could cause chaos by flirting with the Fox whenever he had the chance, but he figured that that chance wouldn't come too often, since there was also Cub to contend with. He was also curious as to find out who they were, just so he could torment them a little more. There was another reason that he wanted to do the things that he was doing, a reason that he hadn't told his mother. He wanted to see if he could win Jessica Bunny's heart. He wasn't sure whether she was taken or not, since it wasn't mentioned in the conversation with her parents. That was slowly becoming his mission in his public life, but he had no idea that she was already taken.

* * *

There was a similar situation going on at Furball's house. He and Rita were looking at the plans that Furball was able to get away from the base. Rita was quietly sobbing that Runt was still a captive, so Furball had an arm around her to sooth her nerves. The main feature on the plans that Furball had obtained was the mixing facilities where the dip was being made. This would be slightly useful for when he would come round to destroying the dip but it was useless for finding Runt. That was his big concern, as if he tried to destroy the dip without rescuing Runt, he could be killed in the resulting fire. In that sense, rescuing Runt would take priority. But in order to do that, he needed the location of the cell where he was being held, and the Cat he met at the base had that information. He didn't know whether he should go out and find the cat now or wait for the cat to make a move and ambush the cat. But right now, that wasn't the most important thing on his mind. He was more concerned for Runt's safety than with finding a pesky feline. To him, it seemed rather ironic that he had to deal with an annoying cat, since he was a cat himself. But right now, there were more pressing matters than trying to figure out his new adversary.

"So, what actually happened at the base?" Rita asked.

"When I found the plans, I also found a cat. He or she challenged me for the plans and it tore during the struggle." Furball replied.

"Is that why you were unable to save Runt?"

"Partly. After the plans tore, we were both found by guards and I had to escape."

"The location of Runt's cell isn't on this half of the plan though."

"Then that cat has to have it. Without that, I can't find Runt at all." In frustration, Furball smashed his fist on the table. He wanted to save Runt but until he had the right piece of the puzzle, he was unable to. He quickly calmed down though, and then he had a thought of something.

"Rita, does anything on this half of the plan look familiar to you?" Furball asked. Rita started studying the plan in front of her. She was also trying to remember the route she took while trying to get out and trying to find those locations on the plan. She was eventually able to get a rough ides of where she went but was unable to see the locations on the plan they had.

"Sorry Furball. I can't see the route I took on the plan."

"Rita, can you try and jot down the route you took? It will help me in finding Runt for tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?"

"I am not leaving Runt with those wolves. I'm going back to the base tomorrow and that time, I will save him." Furball then turned and gave Rita a tight hug. Rita was a little surprised but gave in and hugged him back. "I promise you that." Furball added before giving Rita a kiss on the forehead. Rita snuggled closer to Furball and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Furball." Rita said before giving Furball another kiss, this time on the lips. Furball receded and returned the kiss that Rita was giving him. It didn't last very long though. Rita broke apart but still kept hold of Furball.

"Come on. Let's head for bed. You can't fight for peace without a good rest." Rita said seductively.

* * *

All the way back at the Foxcave, there had been a momentous event. Egghead Jr's anti-dip formula was now devised. The formula for it was on the computer and all he needed to do was mix it up in enough quantity and they were set. The formula was designed so that as soon as it made contact the dip, it would be neutralised and become as harmless as pure water. But even with that news, there was still a slight feeling of dread in the air. Even with the anti-dip, the mission was still going to be dangerous. If they made even a slight mistake, Jessica and Zach would be killed by the dip. Egghead Jr. was mixing up the appropriate chemicals to make the anti-dip in tome for tomorrow night. The group had made their decision about whether they wanted back up or not. They had decided that because of the serious of the situation, they would use the back up that was offered. They were going to call the mayor later on and tell him about the decision. Jessica and Zach were sitting together at a distance away from the computer. Plucky and Shirley were sitting away from the computer. They were trying to contemplate the upcoming battle and what they would say to Jessica and Zach's parents should they not make it out of the battle alive. King was right next to them, being stroked gently by Shirley while he was having a snooze. Jessica was scribbling out a note that she was going to leave instructions with. She was basically preparing for the possibility that she would not make it back from the fight. The letter was addressed to her parents. All Zach was doing was giving Jessica a cuddle while she wrote the letter. He wanted to write a similar note for his parents but wasn't sure as to whether he should or not. If he did write a note, it would force him to reveal the truth to his adoptive parents if the worst happened, but they did deserve to be given a chance to escape the impending calamity if the worst should happen. But watching Jessica write the note to her parents gave him the chills. It was almost as if his dread fear of loosing Jessica was going to come true. He prayed that it would not but something kept on telling him that it would. It was probably because his sense of danger had proven to be as accurate as Jessica's. He didn't even realise that Jessica had finished writing the note. Once she had finished, she picked it up and read it back to herself.

"Dear Mum and Dad,  
If you are reading this note, then the worst has happened. I left this note to be given to you in the event of my death so that I can give you instructions for your safety. The person behind this Dip fiasco is Caesar Feralo, the person who was holding you hostage one year ago. He stole the formula for the Dip and has been creating it secretly. I died while trying to prevent him from unleashing it onto the city. This is what I want you to do. As per request, the entrances to the Foxcave have been sealed. I want you to leave the city quietly and go to our secret vacation house. There, I want you to live the rest of your lives in peace. I leave all of my possessions to my sibling, whenever he or she is born. Just explain to it why I am not there and that I will love him or her. I will do my best to watch over you in the afterlife. Thank you so much for your support in what I have been doing. I am really lucky to have been the child of you. I shall always love you as my parents.  
Farewell, your daughter Jessica."

"That almost sounds like a will." Zach commented. He was listening to the note being read out while Jessica was reading it. Jessica looked up at him while still holding the note.

"I suppose that's because it is. I just hope that Shirley doesn't have to deliver it." Jessica replied. She put the note into a nearby envelope and wrote upon it, "To be delivered in the event of Jessica Bunny's Death". She then sealed the envelope and put it on the floor. She then turned around to Zach and gave him a big hug.

"Zach, this may be our last night together." Jessica said. Before Zach could reply, she began crying into his chest. Zach rubbed Jessica's back to calm her down.

"Jess, I don't want to lose you, but…" Zach began.

"But what?" Jessica asked in between sobs.

"But… I have a dread feeling that I will. I have done for a while now." Zach also began crying into Jessica's arms. Jessica stopped crying for a bit and gave Zach a tight hug.

"Zach, I'll be honest. I don't want to go to the final battle." Zach stopped crying briefly and looked at Jessica in surprise.

"It's not like you to say something like that."

"Zach, last night… I had a terrible dream."

"What kind of dream?"

"I was laying by myself on a peaceful field sunbathing when suddenly somebody blocked the sun."

"Who?"

"The grim reaper. He said that somebody I trust wasn't going to make it out of the battle, and then I woke up." Jessica began sobbing again. She didn't want to think that she would lose somebody that she trusted but everything inside was pointing in that direction. Zach hugged her even tighter to try and calm her down, but now he wasn't having much success with just hugging. He eventually managed to calm her down by kissing her on the forehead. She looked back up at him with sorrow and fear in her eyes.

"Jess, if tonight is going to be our last night together, let's make the most of it." Jessica hugged Zach tightly. She didn't want it to be their last night together but, as everything was pointing, it might be. Zach gave Jessica the tightest hug that she he had given her. Jessica then hugged back just as tightly.

"Ok, let's make it the best that we can then." After Jessica finished speaking, she gave Zach a kiss on the lips. She didn't let up and kept on kissing. It didn't take long for Zach to kiss her back just as hard. They both closed their eyes and tightened their embrace. Jessica toppled backwards and pulled Zach on top of her, not even noticing what had happened. They just kept up their kiss for as long as possible. By the time they had finished, they were nearly asleep. Zach was still on top of Jessica and their lips were still together. Jessica opened her eyes and realised what was going on but didn't push Zach off of her. She just rolled so he wasn't on top of her but they were side by side. She then tightened the hug and closed her eyes again. The whole kiss lasted for about an hour before they finished. They both opened their eyes and looked at each other.

"If we make it out of tomorrow's battle, we should have another moment like this." Jessica said.

"We should Jess, we should." Zach replied.

"But right now, we have to call the mayor about our decision regarding whether we want back up or not."


	15. Caesar's Intention

(A/N: I'm using an idea from Rock Raider in this chapter. Thanks)

**Caesar's Intention**

The following night, FoxFang and Cub were in the Hoverfox heading towards the Wolves' base. They had discovered during the day that the underground river went straight to the base, making the river a perfect sneak entrance. Somehow the media hadn't gotten hold of the news about the dip. This was because the people that Rita had told were too scared to tell them. To FoxFang and Cub, this came as a huge relief, as they didn't want a massive panic. Cub was driving the Hoverfox towards the base. Hidden away in the surrounding forest was the police support that FoxFang and Cub had requested. The police force were all armed with the strongest guns allowed and were lead by Richard and Rebecca Yang, two officers that had tried to arrest FoxFang and Cub before they became deputies. The two officers were actually relieved that they were now working alongside FoxFang and Cub, as it made the whole job easier. Even though, this current situation was less than easy. The Hoverfox had been stocked with the anti-dip that Egghead Jr. had made. It was in a cylinder that was small enough for one of them to carry and keep their stealth skills unhindered. Despite the size, there was enough anti-dip to destroy all of the dip that could've been made. This was because the formula was in its most concentrated form. The police knew of the anti-dip that had been made and were waiting for instructions from FoxFang and Cub as to the plan. Cub was driving the Hoverfox to its destination. King was in the back with the cylinder of anti-dip. FoxFang had gotten her Fangwave out ready to talk to the members of the police force. She knew who the officers were going to be as the mayor had told her before hand.

"Richard and Rebecca, can you hear me?" FoxFang asked into her Fangwave.

"We hear you FoxFang." Richard replied.

"So what's the plan?" Rebecca asked.

"We're going in first by sneaking in through the river. Once inside, we're going to sabotage the dip. Once that's been done, Cub will give you the signal. That's when you should enter and arrest as many of Caesar's men as possible." FoxFang explained.

"In regards to Caesar, I have a message from the mayor and our chief." Richard said.

"Go ahead."

"You have been authorised to terminate him on sight. This threat is too dangerous. He should not be allowed to live." This sent a chill down FoxFang's spine. She never liked killing anyone, as it wasn't her style. Despite what Caesar had done, she didn't want to kill him, but she had been given authorisation to do just that. It now challenged what she believed in. She never said any of this out loud. Cub had heard the instruction as well and was looking at FoxFang. He also believed in not killing a criminal, no matter how dangerous. They had refused to kill Swackhammer on these grounds, despite what he had done. Although it was with a heavy heart, they had to agree with the instruction.

"Very well." FoxFang replied, hiding her true feeling regarding the matter.

"We'll wait for the signal then." Rebecca replied.

"One more thing."

"Yes?" Both Richard and Rebecca asked simultaneously.

"Richard, Rebecca, I trust you. Please don't betray that trust."

"Don't worry FoxFang. We won't betray you." Rebecca replied.  
"Thank you. Now just wait for our signal before entering the building." FoxFang then closed communications with the police and looked over at Cub.

"You heard the instruction didn't you?" FoxFang asked. Cub nodded while piloting the Hoverfox.

"I hope it's the only time we have to do something like that." Cub said.

"Cub, I'd like to go through our side of the plan again."

"Ok." Cub pressed a couple of buttons and a map of the river and a blip showing their destination appeared on the small screen in the Hoverfox.

"Once we meet the base, I'll take King and go off towards one part of the base."

"And I'll take the anti-dip and go the other way."

"Right, you need to find the dip, Sabotage it and rescue Runt."

"That's when I'll give Richard and Rebecca the signal."

"While you're doing that, I'll find Caesar and bring him down." FoxFang absent-mindedly glanced into the air as she said this. She was remembering her first encounter with Caesar, the time when he had kidnapped her parents. She was able to save them and thought that she would not have to fight him again. This turn of events came as a bit of a surprise to her, even though she hadn't told her parents that Caesar was behind the whole situation though. However, they would find out if she didn't make it back from the battle. She still hoped that the letter would not have to be delivered. The letter was currently in the Foxcave, waiting to be either delivered or destroyed. While she was thinking about this, they came across the river entrance to Caesar's base. Surprisingly, it was completely unguarded. All this entrance consisted off was a small metal dock. There was also a small speedboat. Seeing this, FoxFang and Cub suspected that Caesar would use the river to unleash the dip onto the city. Cub pulled the Hoverfox up next to the dock, the door opened and the group left. King was staying close to FoxFang's side while they walked towards the door that led to the main base. Cub made sure that he was holding the Anti-dip. It could be carried on his back like a backpack. Before opening the door, Cub took a peak through the window on the door. He was able to see a couple of wolves outside the door, obviously standing guard.

"We've got a couple of guards outside." Cub whispered. FoxFang drew a Fangdart in response.

"In which case, let's take them out." FoxFang whispered back. Cub nodded in response. Both of the guards were standing close to the door, one of them too close. Cub used all of his strength to kick the door open. The door swung open and smashed into one of the guards, knocking him out instantly. Before the other guard could do anything, FoxFang and Cub teamed up and ploughed him to the floor, knocking him out. Both guards were then immobilised before they regained consciousness.

"Right, let's get this operation underway." FoxFang said. Cub nodded and went off to the right. FoxFang and King went off to the left.

* * *

Unbeknownst to FoxFang, Cub or the police, OxHorn had also entered the base. OxHorn was in more or less the same side of the base as Cub was. In his hand was a hand-drawn map that Rita had made. It was a very rough guide as to the route she had taken in order to escape. He had snuck in through an air vent above the door that Rita had escaped from. He had since dropped down from the vent, taking out a wolf in the process, and was now sneaking along the route Rita had drawn, hoping that he would get it right and arrive at the Prison cell. He was currently sneaking along a wall approaching a corner. He was hugging the wall as tightly as possible, being prepared for the possibility that he would end up fighting against a Wolf. This time, if he came across a group, he wouldn't run. This time he was going to fight the wolves and get Runt out of the base. He had no idea that Cub was sneaking along the wall approaching the corner from the opposite side. They were both coming towards each other, not even knowing that they were there. They only realised when they both peered around the corner and met eye to eye. The sudden surprise made them both jump back, though Cub was prepared for the possibility that OxHorn would be here. 

"So you are here." Cub greeted.

"Cub, where's FoxFang?" OxHorn asked.

"He's in another part of the base looking for Caesar. I'm looking for where the dip is being made." Cub had deliberately disguised FoxFang's gender in his reply.

"You know Foxie, I might be able to help you with that." Cub rolled his eyes while OxHorn revealed the half of the plan that he had gained last night. Cub took the plan and looked at it. OxHorn was right, with this, he could easily find the dip mixing rooms. From there, he could then sabotage the dip with ease and take out any wolves that he would come across. But at the same time, he was looking for Runt's cell, but that wasn't on the half of the map that they had. Before any other talking could be done, Cub heard someone approaching from behind. In defence, he turned around. There was a single wolf there, aiming a gun at Cub and OxHorn. Cub glanced back at OxHorn.

"Shall we dance fox?" OxHorn asked. Cub only smiled and leapt sideways. During his leap, he threw a Fangmerang and knocked the gun out of the wolf's hand. Taking the opening, OxHorn leapt at the wolf and pinned him to the wall using his horns. Cub then fired his grapple gun and pulled the wolves' communicator out of his pocket before he could call for help. Cub then went over to the wolf.

"Where is the prison cell from here?" Cub asked.

"I'll be dead if I tell you." The wolf asked. Cub leapt up to the wolf's face and grabbed him by the collar, OxHorn keeping the wolf firmly pinned to the wall.

"You're dead if you don't!" Cub drew a Fangdart and placed it at the Wolves' throat. The wolf began to sweat, not knowing how nervous Cub was. He very rarely threatened somebody's life like this, but the wolf didn't know that. The wolf pointed down the passageway that OxHorn was heading towards.

"Go down that way and it's the third door on your left." The wolf said nervously. Cub responded by putting the Fangdart away and then slamming the wolves' head into the wall, knocking him out.

"Thanks." Cub immobilised the wolf as he said this. OxHorn had since unpinned the wolf. Cub then looked at OxHorn.

"OxHorn, I'll help you rescuer Runt but I'll want you to help me to sabotage all of the dip here." Cub said.

"How do you intend to do that?" OxHorn asked.

"I have a formula here that will neutralise it, making it harmless."

"Why not just set it alight? I've found that the dip is highly flammable. I was thinking of burning the dip and destroying the base." Cub immediately dismissed OxHorn's idea.

"Too dangerous. It could kill us all in the explosion. We don't have enough time to discuss it, let's go." With that, Cub began running down the corridor that the wolf had indicated. After a brief hesitation, OxHorn began to follow.

* * *

While this was going on, FoxFang was sneaking around the base with king by her side. Together, they had made their way through the base and taking out any wolf they came across, making sure that nobody knew that they were there. Truth be told, they hadn't come across that many. FoxFang was wondering if they were all somewhere else rather than keeping guard in the corridors. FoxFang and King were currently outside a door. There was a window looking into the room. The room was a very large meeting room, with almost all seats taken. She could recognise most of the people in the room, and could see Caesar sitting at the end of the table. They all seemed oblivious to her presence and continued to have a discussion. FoxFang was both listening to the discussion and recording the discussion on her in built tape recorder. She knew that she would have to kill Caesar but the recording would be evidence against all of the others when their trials came. 

"Is the dip ready yet?" Caesar asked.

"Not yet. We have enough to kill our enemies though." A wolf replied.

"Good, as long as we have enough to eliminate the Fox, we'll be fine."

"What about the others?"

"Others?"

"There were two intruders last night. One was an Ox and the other was a cat. They seem to be enemies themselves, as they were arguing over the plans to the building."

"Did they get away with the plans?"

"The plans split in half during the struggle. We think they got away with half each." Caesar thumped the table with his fist.

"If those plans are not found, we could all be in danger!"

"Sir, we will find them as soon as possible." Another wolf said.

"Good. Failure on that matter is not an option."

"Sir, what will we do after this?" A third wolf asked.

"Once we have the demands from this city, we shall issue the same demand to each town with toons living in them. Then, we shall use the dip to destroy one of them and build our own city."

"Our own city?"

"A city only for wolves. It will also be a step into my grandest desire, world domination. That is why I became a hostage demander in the first place."

"It is?"

"When we have the funds, world domination will be unavoidable!" FoxFang had now heard enough and recorded enough. In her mind, Caesar had crossed the line from hostage demander to terrorist. Now she felt a little less guilty about having to kill him, but still wasn't happy about it. Even so, now it was time to bring him down. She went to the door and opened it a crack.

"So that's your game." FoxFang said as she opened the door. Upon hearing her voice, everybody turned to look at the door. They then all saw the door open wider. FoxFang was now leaning on the wall with King looking at the wolves and growling. Caesar immediately stood up from his chair.

"You snooping fox!" Caesar yelled.

"It doesn't matter Caesar. You've crossed the line." FoxFang walked into the room with King following her as she said this. "You're now a terrorist. I will not let you leave this place." FoxFang then armed herself with a Fangmerang. Caesar looked at all of the other wolves, who were still sitting on their chairs and looking at FoxFang.

"What are you waiting for? Get him!"


	16. Battle for the city

**Battle for the city**

"What are you waiting for? Get him!"

Caesar's order echoed briefly through the room. In response, the other wolves in the room stood up and turned to face FoxFang. Truth be told, most of them did not want to fight FoxFang because of the reputation she had gained. They were all hesitating, which was what FoxFang was waiting for. She threw her Fangmerang around the room without hesitation. The Fangmerang flew around the room and hit the hand of each wolf other than Caesar, preventing them from drawing their weapons briefly. This was another window for FoxFang to attack. She decided on a tactic that she had used in the first battle with Caesar's men. She threw a Fangdart at the light in the room and shattered it. This plunged the room into darkness, giving FoxFang a crucial edge. King held his ground and awaited instructions while letting out a menacing growl that shook the nerves of all the wolves. One by one, FoxFang attacked the wolves from behind, knocked them to the ground and immobilised them before they could do anything. She had taken out about five of them when somebody activated a reserve light, illuminating the room again. The remaining wolves drew their handguns and aimed at FoxFang. Out of defence, she leapt as high as she could into the air and threw a barrage of Fangdarts at once in a somersault. The Fangdarts all found their mark and the wolves dropped their guns. It was now that FoxFang realised that Caesar had made a run for it. She could see how, there was an opening behind the chair where Caesar was sitting. She had to give chase, but the other wolves were obviously not going to let her. They all began to charge at her. She jumped into the air to avoid the charge and landed on the table. The wolves turned around and prepared to charge her again, but they hadn't realised that now they had their backs to King.

"King, now!" FoxFang shouted. Before the wolves knew it, King rushed into battle and began to savage at their heels, bringing them to the floor. This was another opening. FoxFang was about to make her move when a nearby air vent cover fell down and a figure leapt down from the air vent. It was none other than CatClaw.

"You again!" FoxFang sneered.

"Hello handsome." CatClaw taunted. He then leapt into the air again, did a somersault in the air and launched several of his needles during the roll. The needles all hit the heels of the wolves and pinned them to the floor. Using this immobilisation, CatClaw landed next to FoxFang.

"I knew we'd see each other again Foxy." CatClaw said flirtatiously.

"What are you doing here?" FoxFang asked.

"I'm saving wildlife. Whatever the wolves are creating here, it could wipe out the wildlife in the forest…"

"It could wipe out more than that." FoxFang muttered under her breath before CatClaw continued.

"As well as a Cat thief, I'm a wildlife defender. Wildlife should not be harmed in any way. Wild animals belong in the wild FoxFang."

"You're pretty passionate about that aren't you?"

"As passionate as I am about you…"

"Not the time Cat." The wolves had gotten free of the pins nailing them to the floor. They were now all standing up and looking ready to charge at any moment.

"Shall we dance?" CatClaw was looking flirtatiously at FoxFang as he said this.

"Not the time, I need to find their leader." FoxFang threw a Fox glare to the floor, creating a blinding flash blinding everybody but her and King. Using the distraction, she took King and went into the passageway that Caesar had escaped through. When CatClaw regained his sight, he realised that FoxFang was gone, as did all of the wolves.

"Always a sour puss." CatClaw muttered to himself.

"The Fox is gone." A wolf exclaimed.

"Now what?" Another asked.

"We get the cat that's what." A third replied. CatClaw gave a bit of a sigh. He was now going to get into a fight he didn't want to get in.

"Now I've got to fight off these prehistoric dogs." CatClaw muttered before swinging his arm in the air, launching more of his needles towards them. The wolves narrowly dodged the needles but CatClaw had now leapt in the middle of them.

"I learned this from a game." CatClaw boasted before taking the tail whip, holding it above his head and spinning on one foot, allowing the whip to lash and sting at all of the wolves around her. When he stopped, the wolves were all bruised from the whip and they all fell to the floor.

"Now I've got to find the leader. Where did the Fox go?" CatClaw asked himself.

* * *

While this was going on, OxHorn and Cub were following the wolf's directions and had finally approached the cell where Runt was being held. A lone wolf was guarding the cell, who had the keys to the cell attached to his belt. Cub and OxHorn kept their distance from the wolf and just watched. It looked as though the wolf was falling asleep on duty, a situation that made things much easier. At this moment, Runt had fallen asleep. He was paying absolutely no attention to what was happening. From a distance, Cub turned to look at OxHorn.

"OxHorn, I have a plan, but we'll have to work together." Cub said.

"I'm all ears Fox." OxHorn replied.

"Here's my plan. I'll go first and knock the wolf out. Once he's out cold, I'll give you the keys and you then release Runt. Then I'll put the wolf in the cell and the you lock it, keeping him in there."

"And then I'll help you in neutralising the dip."

"Thanks. Together we can save everybody in this city."

"Question, what will happen when the dip has been neutralised?"

"When the dip is harmless, I will send a signal to call in the police…" OxHorn interrupted before Cub could continue.

"Woah, woah, woah, you're now working for the police?"

"Me and FoxFang have been honorary deputies since we saved the mayor. Since you don't have that honour, you'll have to run as soon as I send the signal." OxHorn nodded, but he was feeling very bitter about knowing that FoxFang and Cub didn't have to fear the police. He wasn't sure as to whether the police knew about him but would rather that they didn't know.

"Fox, I'll do as I decide. I want to protect this city as much as you do." Cub then snapped at OxHorn in response.

"If the police see you with Runt, they might arrest you suspecting you to be on the same side as the wolves. I'm trying to prevent that! There's no more time, we need to save Runt." Without saying anymore, Cub began to sneak towards the sleeping wolf. He armed himself with a Fangmerang ready to make his move. It was the old stunt that he and FoxFang had used in the battle against the Pranker's men the first time she appeared. There was some chicken wire attached to the Fangmerang. He aimed low and threw it around the Wolf's legs. The moment it returned to Cub's hand. He pulled it hard, pulling the wolf down with a mighty thud. The moment he fell to the floor, Runt woke up. He was curious as to the noise. When he saw the wolf on the floor, his curiosity was perked up.

"What's going on, what's going on?" Runt asked in excitement. It was then that OxHorn appeared in front of the cell. OxHorn made a quiet gesture to prevent Runt from going mad. Cub had since taken the keys and given then to OxHorn. OxHorn unlocked Runt's cell without hesitation and let the excited dog out. Runt began jumping and speaking excitedly.

"Thank you OxHorn, thank you OxHorn." Runt was intelligent enough not to spill OxHorn's identity in his excitement. While OxHorn was trying to calm Runt down, Cub dragged the unconscious wolf into the cell. Cub then left the cell and closed the door while OxHorn locked it, trapping the wolf. Cub left the keys to the cell in sight but just out of reach, as a way of taunting the wolf for when he came around.

"Right, I've helped you, now you help me." Cub said.

"Right. Runt, there's something we've got to do before we go." OxHorn replied.

* * *

The escape passage that Caesar had taken led to the roof of the facility. There was a large clearing on the roof for where the helicopter would normally go. Unfortunately the helicopter had crashed and Caesar had no way of escaping. In his hand was a slip of paper that contained the formula for the dip. He was going to protect what was his with everything he had. He refused to let the Fox defeat him again. He was going to take another lift to the mixing rooms, grab some dip and prepare to destroy the Fox as soon as he could, but first he needed to rest. He was trying to figure out how FoxFang had escaped the crashing helicopter and save the power plant at the same time. He was sure that either FoxFang would die or the power plant would be destroyed. However, his plan was far from over.

"I've found you!" A voice from the roof came. Caesar looked around in surprise and saw FoxFang and King in the passageway that he had just come from. FoxFang began walking towards Caesar, ready to end it once and for all. King was walking next to her, waiting for instruction. Caesar growled menacingly at FoxFang.

"You refuse to give up don't you?" Caesar growled.

"Like I said before, I'm not going to let you get away this time." FoxFang replied.

"Fox, you have intervened for long enough." Caesar pulled out a whip much like CatClaw was using and lashed it in front of him, but FoxFang was still to far away to be hit.

"Caesar, like I took you down last year, I will take you down again."

"Not this time fox. This time, I will win and you will die."

"Don't bet on it Caesar." FoxFang suddenly drew a Fangmerang and threw it at Caesar. Caesar lashed the whip and knocked it away. FoxFang began to approach, with King keeping back and awaiting for instructions. Caesar lashed at FoxFang and caught her in the face. She staggered briefly but retaliated by throwing a Fangmerang. The Fangmerang flew around Caesar's legs.

"You've gotten rusty FoxFang." Caesar sniggered. FoxFang had done what she had intended. The moment the Fangmerang returned to her hand, she pulled it along with some nearly invisible chicken wire. Caesar was suddenly pulled to the floor and nearly knocked out. He remained consciousness and suddenly threw a dagger towards FoxFang. The dagger caught her in the right shoulder and she winced in pain. This gave Caesar an opening; he rushed towards FoxFang and kicked her in the chest, knocking her to the edge of the building. FoxFang staggered back up to her feet and threw a Fangdart at Caesar. Caesar avoided the projectile but it was just a distraction. FoxFang had rushed up to him and kicked him in the groin, followed by another kick to the head. Caesar was now heavily worn out but so was FoxFang.

"It ends now Caesar" FoxFang growled. She drew a Fangmerang and prepared to throw it. Caesar smirked and pulled out a remote. He pressed a button on the remote and there was an explosion almost next to FoxFang. She was heavily hurt and knocked to the edge of the building. She did roll of the edge but grabbed onto the edge to stop herself from falling to her death. The armour in her suit had saved her from being killed by the explosion, but she couldn't keep it up for much longer. When she looked up, she saw Caesar looking down on her, with a wooden pole in his hand. It was the pole that he hid the whip in. With his other hand, he took out a radio and activated it.

"Bring some dip to the roof top." Caesar said into the radio before looking down at FoxFang. She wasn't showing it, but FoxFang was now scared of her current situation. "And so it ends. With my greatest enemy gone, nothing can stop me in my plan, but first…" Caesar took the wooden pole and placed it under FoxFang's chin. The electrical defence in the mask was now useless because Caesar was using a wooden pole, and FoxFang could tell what Caesar was about to do. "It's time to see the face of the man who has been getting in my way." He moved the pole around and found the gap between the mask and the rest of the outfit. He could see the electrical defence kick in and laughed, knowing that the defence wasn't going to work. Caesar began to stop. He was savouring the moment, the moment before seeing the face of the figure behind the mask.

(For the record, FoxFang has NOT been unmasked yet, but you probably knew that anyway.)


	17. Twilight

**Twilight **

Cub and OxHorn had successfully snuck to the mixing rooms where the dip was made, with Runt following close behind. He had been instructed not to run off, since he would end up in serious trouble if he did. Occasionally, Cub and OxHorn had to take a wolf out so nobody knew they were around. Cub was peeping through the doorway that looked into the mixing rooms. The mixing rooms had several large tanks where the dip was being made up. Cub could also see a few wolves inside; so bursting the door down was out of the question. OxHorn was hiding right behind him, keeping an eye on Runt and also looking out for any wolves that might spot them. Because Cub only had the door open very slightly, he couldn't see very much in the room. He needed to get a better view of the room in order to proceed. He took out a FoxEye and the Fangwave.

"OxHorn, you're doing this anyway, but keep an eye out for any wolves that come along." Cub instructed. He then threw the FoxEye into the mixing room and activated it with the Fangwave. He could now see what the FoxEye could. He used the Fangwave to control the FoxEye to an obscure area of the room. On the screen of the Fangwave, he could see more of the room. There were three large mixing containers that were mixing the dip and several wolves working the machinery. They were nearly all dressed in scientist like uniforms rather than the usual uniforms that they were used to seeing. There was a fourth container where completed dip was pumped into. There was a tap to this other container and a bucket underneath it, presumably for taking some dip out if it was needed. The worker's didn't notice the FoxEye and continued working. Cub continued to look around the room with the FoxEye, moving up higher so he could get a better view. He could now see a higher platform that went around the whole room. He could easily access this platform through the air vent, which was right next to the door they were standing next to. Cub controlled the FoxEye back to him and put it away when it arrived.

"OxHorn, I'm going into the room through this air vent. I want you to get Runt out of sight and escape yourselves. You've been a great help." Cub instructed. He disappeared into the vent before OxHorn had time to object. He and runt were now all alone in the corridor.

"What now, what now?" Runt asked. OxHorn looked up at Runt with a semi-defeated look on his face.

"We should get out of here. I'm not sure…" Before OxHorn could finish, he heard something happening inside the room. Taking up the courage, he peeped inside and saw a normal guard amongst the scientists.

"We've got an instruction from Caesar. He wants some dip sent up to the roof immediately." The wolf said.

"It sounds like some good news then." A scientist replied.

"I think that the Fox might finally be defeated." Another added. This sent a chill down OxHorn's spine. Even so, he wasn't about to let FoxFang die after what the Fox has done for him. For the moment, he held Runt still and continued to listen.

"Has Caesar unmasked the Fox yet?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure that he will if he hasn't yet." The wolf guard replied. That was all OxHorn could bear to hear.

"Runt, stay here and keep quiet." OxHorn instructed. He then snuck into the room as best as he could. He immediately ducked behind one of the nearest objects, which was a crate full of tools. He wasn't going to wait and see what would happen, as he didn't have the time to do that. Instead, he grabbed the nearest thing he could use as a weapon, which was a spanner. Before he did anything, he saw Cub on the ledge above the main collecting tank for the dip. This gave him an idea. He could act as a distraction to allow Cub to neutralise the dip. Without thinking, he threw the spanner towards the wolves. The spanner hit one of them square on the head and knocked him out. The wolf that had been hit was one of the scientists.

"Who threw that?" The guard wolf asked.

"There must be somebody up above!" A scientist replied, drawing a small pistol. On the ledge above, Cub was silently fuming.

"OxHorn, why don't you listen to instructions?" He thought to himself.

"Hey wolves!" OxHorn shouted, jumping out from his hiding place. Before any of the wolves could do anything, he threw another spanner that he had grabbed and hit the guard wolf, knocking him out.

"Get him!" A scientist shouted, taking his pistol and firing. OxHorn quickly ducked behind the crate and then ran to another side.

"If we can catch him, we can dip him. Let's grab him!" The scientists rushed off after OxHorn, leaving the main tank unguarded.

"I take that back. That was a clever move OxHorn." Cub thought to himself, firing his grapple gun so he could use it as a winch. He lowered himself down to just above the collecting tank, full to the brim of dip. He then used his free hand to get the anti-dip from his back and dropped the whole container in. The container was dissolved open by the dip but that released the anti-dip. The dip changed color in an instant, going from its usual color to clear. The container that the anti-dip was in had stopped dissolving. It had half-dissolved by the time the anti-dip had neutralised the dip. Cub raised himself back up to the ledge without being spotted and resumed watching OxHorn drive the wolves mad. OxHorn was ducking between crates and throwing objects that came to hand, knocking out the scientists one by one. Cub knew that it was now time for the next step. He pulled out his Fangwave and opened a communication link to the police.

"Everyone, the dip has been neutralised. Attack now!" Cub instructed.

* * *

Back on the roof, FoxFang was in a perilous situation. She was hanging onto the edge of the building after an explosion had nearly knocked her off. Now Caesar had a wooden pole to her chin. H had just sent an order for some dip, as he intended to get rid of FoxFang once and for all. But before he did that, he wanted to see who FoxFang was, but he was delaying the unmasking. FoxFang couldn't pull herself up onto the ledge though because Caesar was blocking her. Caesar was looking down at her with a sinister smile on his face.

"You're probably wondering what that explosion was aren't you?" Caesar asked. FoxFang didn't reply at all. Instead, she began to try and motivate what strength she had in order to pull a comeback.

"I'll tell you what the explosion was. In preparation for the battle, I had placed a remote mine on the roof. I just detonated it when you were in the right spot." Caesar continued.

"You villains talk to much, you know that?" FoxFang asked.

"That's a rhetorical question isn't…" Before Caesar could continue, he felt a sharp and incredible pain in his leg. King had just leapt into action and sunk his teeth into Caesar's foot. In agony, Caesar dropped the wooden pole he was holding. It fell all the way to the ground. With her identity safe, FoxFang pulled up a surprising amount of strength that was left in her. She pulled herself back up onto the roof and saw that Caesar had gotten King away from him. The fox was now growling menacingly at Caesar. Caesar had pulled out a pistol and was aiming it at King's head.

"Time to die fox pet." Caesar growled. Before he could pull the trigger, FoxFang threw a Fangdart into his hand and knocked the gun out of it. Caesar grabbed his hand and winced in pain before casting a glare at FoxFang.

"Where does your strength come from?" Caesar asked.

"From the will to protect the city." FoxFang replied. She then charged at Caesar and landed a punch to the wolf's head. Caesar staggered and tried to land with a roundhouse kick. The attack missed and FoxFang landed with a roundhouse kick of her own, but she was loosing strength. But then something happened that put a smirk on her face. The message that Cub had sent through his Fangwave had gotten through to her's.

"Caesar, it's over." FoxFang said.

"What do you mean?" Caesar asked.

"While you and I were fighting, Cub was neutralising your precious dip. Now it's useless."

"I don't believe you!" Although Caesar's voice was strong, he was nervous. There was something telling him that FoxFang was telling the truth. The fact that only one of the two foxes had come to fight him did seem a little odd. He did know from reports from his men that there were two foxes instead of one now as well as their little pet fox. Before the fight could continue, there was a complication that neither of them needed.

"Handsome!" A voice cried. FoxFang and Caesar came over to see who had called out to them. FoxFang immediately recognised the figure that was standing in the doorway that led to the meeting room where they were before.

"CatClaw." FoxFang growled. CatClaw leapt over like a ballet dancer and then lashed at Caesar with his whip, stunning him temporarily.

"Need a hand Handsome?" FoxFang didn't answer. Instead, she just began running towards Caesar. CatClaw said nothing, leapt into the air and launched his needles towards Caesar. The needles caught Caesar's uniform and pinned him to the ground. FoxFang took this opportunity to hit with a barrage of kicks and punches. She eventually had to stop in order to catch her breath, but Caesar didn't get chance to take a breather. While FoxFang had stopped, CatClaw had leapt in and was kicking and whipping the wolf. Caesar was eventually able to remove the needles pinning him to the ground despite the beating he was taking. As soon as he had, he drew his pistol and tried to hit CatClaw with it. Caesar caught CatClaw on the head and knocked him to the floor. CatClaw had been unconscious by the blow. Caesar was now aiming his pistol at CatClaw's head. Although CatClaw was an enemy, FoxFang was not about to let CatClaw die in front of her.

"King, attack!" FoxFang shouted. King leapt back into action and grabbed hold of Caesar's ankle with his teeth. This proved to be a mistake. Caesar yelped in pain and then fired a shot from his pistol at King. The bullet missed King's body but hit him in the leg. King yelped in pain, let go of Caesar and limped away. To FoxFang, this was the last straw. Seeing King get wounded sent her into a rage. She ran at Caesar and attacked him with a seemingly endless barrage of punches and kicks. These attacks pushed Caesar to the edge of the building. With a final punch, Caesar fell off the building but was able to grab hold of the edge. FoxFang went up to the edge and looked down at Caesar, with a wounded King next to her.

"Now you know how I felt when I was in your position." FoxFang said coldly. She was clearly worn out, but she now had the advantage.

"FoxFang… This is not over… I will return… Just watch… me…" Caesar gasped. He was now breathless. He couldn't hold on to the ledge for much longer.

"I don't think you'll be coming back at all Caesar." With that remark, and with a heavy heart, FoxFang stomped on Caesar's hand. The result caused him to let go of the building and fall. FoxFang watched Caesar fall with a single tear dropping from her eye. She did not want to do that, but she had been told to. There was no way that Caesar would be able to survive the fall. FoxFang just watched Caesar fall. She wanted to save him but she knew that she would be disgraced if she didn't.

"You could've had another chance. You could've lived a peaceful life instead of choosing such an evil path. You fool." FoxFang said under her breath. She looked down at King, who was licking at his wound. He would need treatment as soon as they returned to the cave. FoxFang looked over her shoulder. It was then that she realised that CatClaw had vanished.

"CatClaw, I hate to say this… but thanks." FoxFang said to nobody in particular. She then went off back the way she came, carrying the wounded King, in an attempt to find Cub and then escape.


	18. A noble sacrifice

**A noble sacrifice**

While FoxFang and CatClaw were dealing with Caesar, Cub and OxHorn had neutralised the dip. Now Cub was helping OxHorn take down his pursuers. OxHorn was leading them on a merry dance around the room. He was constantly ducking behind obstacles and evading attack. He also occasionally threw some tools that he had grabbed to KO one of his pursuers. Cub was going around and immobilising any of the people that had already been KOed. Now there was only one person pursuing OxHorn. OxHorn ran into the centre of the room and then suddenly turned around to face his pursuer. The last one didn't have any weaponry of any sort. OxHorn was going to take advantage of that before Cub stood in between them.

"OxHorn, I'll mop up here. The police are going to be in this room any minute. You get out with Runt." Cub instructed. Before OxHorn could respond, Runt ran into the room, pursued by a single guard. He had been spotted and was now trying to get away. This led to a sudden change of plan. Without being told, OxHorn leapt to Runt's defence, quite literally. He jumped at the pursuing guard while spinning. His attack caught the guard in the chest and knocked him sailing to the other side of the room. Cub was now fighting the remaining scientist. The scientist had been inadequately trained in combat and was floored with a few punches to the chest. OxHorn was now with Runt. Cub went over to both Runt and OxHorn.

"OxHorn, you've done all you can. Now get out of here before the police arrive!" Cub instructed, a hint of anger in his voice. He was fed up with telling OxHorn to leave, but despite this, OxHorn had proven to be useful in everything they had to do. OxHorn responded with a little salute.

"This time I'm going. Nothing else to do here anyway. Let's go Runt" OxHorn replied.

"Ok, ok!" Runt replied in excitement. The two of them ran out of the room just a few moments before Richard and Rebecca entered the room from another door.

"What's happened to Caesar?" Richard asked.

"FoxFang was taking care of him." Cub replied.

"He's dead." A voice from above said. Everybody looked up and saw FoxFang with King on the ledge above. King was still limping from his wound. FoxFang grabbed hold of King and jumped down to join Cub, Richard and Rebecca.

"Caesar has fallen off the top of the roof of the facility. I highly doubt that he has survived such a fall." FoxFang continued.

"Then all we have to do now is gather up all of his men, rescue Caesar's captive and leave." Rebecca reasoned.

"Caesar's captive has escaped already." Cub replied, not mentioning OxHorn at all.

"Then we're pretty much done here." The group was interrupted when the heat suddenly picked up. Everyone looked around and realised that the mixture in the mixing containers was on fire. The sparks that had been produced from the rapidly rotating mixers had ignited the substance. It was now burning violently. It looked like it was going to explode any moment. Nobody noticed a small figure quickly dart out of the room through an air vent.

"Everyone, we need to escape! The place is going to blow!" FoxFang shouted, realising the imminent danger. Richard and Rebecca had prepared a plan just in case something like this happened. They had to say something difficult to both of the foxes now. They had agreed upon this before they had received the signal from Cub, but kept it a secret. They knew that the survival of FoxFang and Cub was the top priority for the security of the city.

"You two go. We'll stay here and ensure nobody escapes." Rebecca said.

"Are you mad? I've already seen one death today. If you two stay in here, you'll be signing your death warrant!"

"We will keep all of Caesar's men. The main door has been bolted. The other police officers are heading back to base. The explosion will kill everybody, but our lives will be a sacrifice to meet that goal. While we were waiting, we were told to ensure that all of Caesar's men died. We need you to tell the mayor that we have succeed." Cub sighed. There didn't appear to be any way to reason with either of them. He grabbed FoxFang before she could say another word.

"FoxFang, we're wasting time. We need to get out of here." Cub said. FoxFang also sighed.

"Richard, Rebecca. You're good officers. We'll never forget you." FoxFang finally said. Still carrying King, she and Cub ran out of the room. Richard and Rebecca looked at each other and sighed.

"You don't make things easy FoxFang." Richard said. Rebecca took hold of Richard's hands and looked at him in the eyes.

"Have we done the right thing?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm sure we have Rebecca." Richard replied. The fire in the room was now growing in intensity. It wouldn't be long until the whole thing exploded, taking the facility and them with it.

"At least the city is safe now."

"The foxes did a good job, and now so are we."

"Goodbye Richard."

"And goodbye to you Rebecca." The two officers embraced in a hug and simply waited for the end. They were now doing their part of the role. They knew that the foxes didn't like the outcome, but there seemed little other alternative. Now they were going to die protecting the city that they lived and worked in. They both hoped that the foxes will escape in time to avoid being killed in the explosion. If the foxes died, then the city would be in serious danger from future attacks from people like Caesar. The two officers still hugged each other and just waited for the end.

* * *

FoxFang and Cub had finally made it back to where the Hoverfox had been parked. Without any hesitation, FoxFang put King in the back so he could rest. She then jumped in the passenger's side of the vehicle while Cub took the driver's side. Cub activated the Hoverfox and turned it up to maximum power. The Hoverfox sped away from the facility as its maximum speed. Just a few seconds after the Hoverfox had left; there was a huge explosion that they could hear even from underground. Obviously the facility had exploded. FoxFang took out her Fangwave solemnly and tried to reach contact with Richard and Rebecca. The Fangwave only told her what she already knew though. The two officers had been killed in the explosion. She knew this because the Fangwave didn't make any contact. This told her that the communicator that Richard and Rebecca had had been destroyed in the explosion. The explosion had also sent huge waves along the underground river that they were escaping on. The waves nearly knocked the Hoverfox into the wall but Cub still kept control of it. When the waves did down, Cub stopped the Hoverfox. So they could fully come to terms with what had just happened.

"They gave their lives so nobody would leave." FoxFang said.

"I know. It takes courage to do that." Cub replied.

"I just hope OxHorn, Runt and CatClaw escaped.

"CatClaw?"

"She turned up and helped me with Caesar. She vanished as suddenly as she had appeared though."

"I'm more concerned about OxHorn and Runt. Richard and Rebecca said that the main door had been bolted."

"I think there were some other exits that they could've used. I hope they got out ok."

"We can find out when we get back to the cave by running a scan for them."

"We also need to treat King." FoxFang looked back at King as she said this. He was lying down on the floor and was licking his wound. It wasn't bleeding but it did look nasty.

"How did he get wounded?"

"He took a bullet to the leg from Caesar's gun."

"Ok. Let's get him treated." Cub started up the Hoverfox and they were off again. On the way back to the cave, FoxFang was thinking about everything that had happened. Caesar had been defeated but she wasn't happy. It was because they had been so many deaths throughout the night. Caesar was probably the most tolerable death, but Richard and Rebecca's death was less tolerable. At least she knew now what her dream had meant. The dream had suggested to her that somebody she trusted wouldn't come out of the battle alive. Now she knew whom the dream had meant. The dream had meant Richard and Rebecca would die. She had trusted them, even though they had started out as their enemies. She had a lot to think about both on the way back to the Foxcave and when they got back to the cave.

"Richard, Rebecca, I'll never forget you. Runt, OxHorn, CatClaw, I hope you're ok." FoxFang thought to herself as Cub piloted the Hoverfox back to the Foxcave.

* * *

OxHorn and Runt had indeed made it out of the facility before the explosion. They were in the forest when the explosion happened. As soon as it did, they buried their faces into the ground to keep them safe from flying debris. The noise however was almost deafening, and they had to cover their ears and hope that they weren't damaged. They had heard a bit of the sound at full blast though, and it sounded worse than a sonic boom at point blank range. After the noise ended, they looked up to have a look at the scene. The explosion had destroyed some of the trees around the remains of the facility. There was no trace of any bodies, the dip or the facility. There was a lot of smoke coming from where the facility had been. They were far enough away to avoid being hit by any debris, but there was some quite near them. Taking a deep breath, OxHorn stood up.

"Runt, come on. I want to go back." OxHorn said. Keeping close, Runt followed OxHorn to the site. It was then that they saw the devastation. There was a clear liquid around the area, which was the neutralised dip. There were absolutely no bodily remains, indicating that everybody in the facility had been blown into a million pieces.

"It's pointless Runt. There are no survivors of this explosion." OxHorn said with a heavy heart. He didn't want to see the site, and it sent chills down his spine. OxHorn's thought pattern was interrupted when a voice spoke to him

"I wouldn't say that." The voice said. OxHorn looked in the direction of where the voice had come from. The voice had come from CatClaw. He was standing near a fallen tree near the ruin. OxHorn let out a low-pitched growl.

"You again." CatClaw put his hands up in a defensive manner, since he had no intention of fighting. Partly because he was too weak and partly because it was pointless.

"Hey Ox, we're both sides of a coin here. We've both gotten what we want. I wanted to see the facility destroyed and you wanted to save your friend."

"You blew up the facility?"

"It was a threat to the wildlife, just like I thought. Now the threat is no more." OxHorn sighed. There was no point in starting an argument with CatClaw. Especially now that Runt was safe and Caesar was no more.

"I have to admit, I'm for the wild myself. I'll let our little squabble go for now. The next time we meet though, we're going to settle our little quarrel." Without saying any more, OxHorn pulled out a whistle. It looked like a normal whistle, except there was a small picture of an Ox on the side. OxHorn blew the whistle and an Ox came running up to him. He climbed onto the Ox's back and helped Runt on as well.

"So you do care." CatClaw said, slightly flirtatious. Before OxHorn left, he pressed a button on one of his horns. This sent out a small ball right at CatClaw. The ball exploded and released a sticky goo all over the cat.

"I care all right, I care." With that, OxHorn patted the Ox on the side and it sped off towards the city, with Runt and OxHorn riding it. CatClaw was covered in the goo, and he watched the Ox move away.

"You are so going to pay for that Oxie." CatClaw growled before moving away from the facility as best as he could.


	19. Remembrance

(A/N. I know it's late, but merry christmas and a happy new year to all)

**Remembrance **

Later on that night, FoxFang and Cub had returned to the Foxcave after their battle. Rather than having a huge celebration, the atmosphere was very different. There was no cheering at all. They were all saddened by the sacrifice that Richard and Rebecca had given. Jessica trusted them throughout the battle. The police force had lost two of the greatest officers. Jessica's prophetic dream had come true. She had lost someone that she had trusted. Only this time she had lost two people. The actual even had been worse than what the dream had suggested. She didn't want to accept that two noble lives had been lost, but she was going to have to. In Jessica's hand at the time was small pistol. It was a replica that Egghead Jr. had quickly put together when he heard of the news. The gun wasn't designed for use at all. There were no holes for any bullets and it was too small to accept bullets anyway. The purpose was for a small remembrance ceremony that they were going to have. On each side of the small gun a white rose was carved. Underneath the rose, the letters R and Y were also carved, to symbolise Richard Yang and Rebecca Yang respectively. There was also a small statue of the two carved in a further end of the cave. The statue depicted them, as they should be, officers doing what they do best. The statue was only made of wood as a temporary, and was going to be replaced by a better one at a later date, since egghead Jr. couldn't make such a statue in five minutes. Jessica, Zach, Egghead Jr, Plucky and Shirley were all gathered around the statue. King's leg had been bandaged when they had gotten back. He was still limping a little, but he was otherwise perfectly fine. How Plucky and Shirley were going to explain the bandage was not on their minds yet, as there was another matter at hand. Jessica and Zach were still wearing the FoxFang and Cub outfits, albeit without the masks on. This was out of respect in a rather abstract way. Also, they were going to need them later, so it was better to leave them on anyway.

"Richard and Rebecca Yang. I never knew you very well. You started out as our enemies, but turned into great allies in the end. You performed your duty with honour, and that is the most anybody could've asked for. I don't know whether the decision you made was correct, but if it was wrong, it cannot be corrected now. Your decision helped us to escape and ensured the destruction of the dip. I just hoped it helped the escape of everyone else who was involved in the raid. You two give the term heroes a new definition. You were devoted to protecting the town and the world, despite the heavy cost that came with it. I know that you will be missed. Not just by us, but by everybody on the police force." After her little speech, Jessica took the gun that was in her hand and placed it at the foot of the statue. A single tear slid down her cheek as she placed the gun. Zach then walked forward and placed one of his Fangmerangs next to the gun.

"I find it hard to say anything that Jessica hasn't already said. Richard and Rebecca, you were great officers. Although you were our enemies in the beginning, you did your job with honour and never backed down from a situation. That is the kind of qualities that make a great law enforcer, whether it is a police officer or a vigilante like us. You will be greatly missed by every law enforce in the city. Some people may not like your decision, but you would want everybody you knew to know what has happened. I am sure that the mayor will explain everything, as will we. We shall all miss you, Richard and Rebecca Yang." Zach continued. He backed away from the statue and then stood next to Jessica. Jessica gripped hold of his hand to comfort herself.

"Let us pause for a moment of silence." After Jessica said that, everybody lowered their heads and didn't speak. Like Jessica was, Shirley was holding Plucky's hand. Jessica didn't know what to think. This was the closest she had been to going to a funeral. It was a very solemn moment for her. The only sound that could be heard was a faint humming from the computer. It was intended that the silence was going to last for a minute. During the silence, Jessica was thinking of every moment that she had had with Richard and Rebecca. These included the first time they had met, the time that they had interrogated her in person after Pranker's comeback, the time they helped the two recapture escaped criminals, the time when they were present when FoxFang and Cub were deputized and every other moment that had led to this moment. The moment where they had given up their lives in order to ensure FoxFang and Cub could escape alive. The act had been done now, and there was no way of bringing them back. Their act had ensured that everybody involved in the creation of the dip had been killed. The threat was no more, but everybody found it hard to believe that it had come with a sacrifice. The minute seemed like an hour but it eventually ended, marked by a bleep that Jessica had set on the Fangwave.

"Richard Yang, Rebecca Yang, may you rest in peace." Jessica said when the silence ended.

* * *

Riding on the Ox, OxHorn and Runt had finally made it back to Furball's home. The Ox stopped outside the front door. It was a risky thing, but there was no way for the Ox to go around the back. When it stopped, Runt and OxHorn climbed off the Ox's back. With a pat on its back from OxHorn, the Ox quickly ran back to the forest. OxHorn grabbed Runt suddenly and quickly went around the back. Once there, they went into the house before OxHorn took off the mask. He did this so that nobody could possibly see. Everybody was asleep at the time so nobody saw anyway. Only one person in the neighbourhood wasn't asleep. She was sitting on the couch in Furball's house with her head in her hands. Rita was wishing that Furball and Runt would come back safely. She was so wrapped up with worry, she didn't realise that they had returned safely. Furball walked over to her quietly and tapped her on the shoulder gently. She very groggily looked up. She was actually close to falling asleep, but shot back awake when she saw Furball.

"Rita, we're back." Furball said quietly. It was then that Runt walked into view. Rita woke up completely the moment she saw Runt. Her eyes filled with tears. Furball had succeeded in saving one of her first friends in life. Without thinking, she leapt of the couch and ran up to Runt, giving him a big hug. Runt was a little taken aback by Rita's reaction, but soon figured out why she was like this and returned the hug. Soon after, Furball joined in the hug, turning it into a three-way hug. It was now the end of a very traumatic time period for all of them. Ever since Shirley had predicted that they would go through a period of trouble, everybody had gotten nervous. Her prediction had come true and they had gotten through it. In Furball's eyes, the foxes, Cub especially, had helped him while CatClaw had only gotten in his way. He had no idea of who CatClaw was but found it slightly unnerving in his mind that a cat was getting in his way. Now wasn't the time to think about that though. He had rescued Runt and assisted in bringing down a major criminal gang, and that was all that mattered right now. The three-way hug was still going on. Rita was now crying gently into Runt's shoulder. They weren't tears of sadness; they were tears of joy. She was happy to have her nearly life-long friend back. Truth be told, she had grown a strong friendship to Runt. It wasn't love, since she couldn't love a different species at all. She did wonder what Runt thought of her though. The three-way hug ended when all three of them nearly fell asleep. They all fell to the floor, about to fall asleep, but were awoken when they hit the floor. Runt stayed on the floor though and settled down to go to sleep. Furball climbed to his feet and then helped Rita up. Rita looked down at Runt very briefly.

"Let him sleep there. We all need some sleep now." Rita said. Furball simply nodded in agreement. "Do you think your career is over?" Rita asked.

"I don't know. It depends on whether I can help the foxes or not." Furball replied.

"So you saw them again?"

"I saw Cub. FoxFang had gone off to fight the leader. I hope they got out alive."

"Why do you say that?" Furball looked down to the floor. He had no idea of whether they had gotten out of the facility; since they would be no way that anybody could survive such an explosion.

"Soon after I escaped with Runt, the facility was destroyed in a huge explosion. There was no way that anybody that was still inside would've escaped." Rita's head sank as well, but then looked up again.

"Hey, at least we don't have to worry about the dip anymore. You destroyed it."

"Actually, no I didn't." Rita's expression turned to that of a confused look.

"Then who did?" Furball's fist clenched and he had a look of anger.

"It was that cat that I met the other night."

"What did that cat want?"

"Apparently the same thing I wanted, to see the destruction of the facility. Cub warned me not to ignite the dip as it would do more damage than good, but that cat must've ignited the dip instead." Furball clenched his fist even harder, but then a smile came over his face. "But I got the cat back. Last I left, he or she was covered in goo that I fired." Rita just laughed briefly.

"Sounds like you've got a rival now." Furball nodded in response.

"Probably. I'll have to keep my guard up whenever I put the uniform on from now on."

"Furball, you should get some sleep." Rita cuddled up to Furball as she said this. Before Furball could say anything, Rita gave him a kiss on the lips. Rita kept on with the kiss until Furball began to return it. Rita began to walk, taking Furball with her. The destination she was heading to was Furball's room, to get a good night's sleep. The first either of them will have had for a few days.

* * *

"Thanks goodness, they managed to get out alive." Jessica said. They were in the Foxcave looking at the computer screen. They had just finished their little tribute to Richard and Rebecca Yang, the two officers that had given up their lives. Now they were locating Furball and Runt. They had detected them at Furball's house, so they knew that they had both gotten out of the facility. The only person left unaccounted for was CatClaw, but they had no way of locating him. This was because they did not know CatClaw's identity, but that would be an ongoing mission from now on. Logic was saying that they should all be partying, but nobody seemed to be in the mood to have a celebration. Jessica was putting on a brave face, but she felt incredibly guilty about what she had done to Caesar, even though it was the right thing to do. It was the first time she had been directly responsible for a death, even though she had been asked to do it. Now that they all knew that Furball and Runt were alive, she could relax a little, but she mentally couldn't. She was struggling with her emotions. This night had been one of the worst nights she had been involved in because of the death. She hadn't wanted anybody to die, even though she knew that at least one person would because of her dream. She eventually couldn't take it anymore. She walked away from the computer, sat down on the floor and began to cry. Zach noticed and went over to her. He knelt down and gave Jessica the biggest hug that he could. That didn't stop Jessica from crying, she just hugged Zach and cried on his shoulder. Even though she was a crime fighter, she was still just a child. She couldn't handle death very well. Zach realised this but couldn't think of a way to calm her down. He eventually settled on kissing her on the cheek to get her attention. She stopped sobbing briefly to kiss him back, also on the cheek. Zach quickly gave her another kiss, this time on the lips. This did the trick. She wiped a tear from her eye and gave Zach a kiss on the lips.

"Thanks Zach, I needed that." Jessica said.

"What's wrong?" Zach asked.

"I was just having a guilt trip about all the death." Jessica sobbed again but didn't start crying though.

"Jessica, I don't like it either. I know you had to kill Caesar, but that was unavoidable. I just wish Richard and Rebecca's was avoidable."

"So do I Zach." Zach then gave Jessica another big hug, just like the one he had given a moment ago.

"Jessica, I was really worried that I'd lose you. I'm so glad that I didn't." Jessica rubbed Zach on the shoulder.

"Zach, I'll be honest. You nearly did lose me." Zach looked up at Jessica after she had said this.

"What do you mean?"

"Caesar had planted mines on the roof where we battled. One of them nearly knocked me off the building. At that moment, I thought I was going to die." Jessica began to sob into Zach's shoulder again. "I nearly died at the hands of my enemy, and nearly had my identity revealed. If it wasn't for king, I wouldn't be here now." Jessica glanced over at King as she said this. King was now fast asleep, with his wounded leg bandaged. Everybody hoped that he would be ok very soon. Zach gave Jessica a huge hug. Knowing how close she had come to death made him glad that she was still alive. He didn't want to be the one who would have to deliver the letter that she had written. But the letter could be destroyed now, since it was not needed anymore.

"Jessica, if you had died, I don't think I would've been able to continue." Jessica hugged Zach as hard as she could when he said this.

"My thoughts exactly. If I lost you, I wouldn't have the will to continue. But be thankful that we're still together." With those words, Jessica placed her lips onto Zach's lips. The two rabbits then proceeded to have the most passionate kiss they have ever had. While engaged, they both forgot about all their worries. They were now happy to be alive and free from the most life-threatening situation they have ever been in. The dip had been destroyed and hopefully it would never be brought back. Also, Jessica's first and greatest enemy was gone forever. Once the shock of all of the deaths was over, they could have a small party to celebrate. They would also have some time to themselves. But before that, they had a message to deliver to the mayor. Very slowly and hesitantly, Jessica and Zach pulled apart from their kiss, not wanting it to end.

"Zach, we need to go see the mayor now." Jessica said.

"I know. We can continue this later though." Zach replied. Jessica smiled in response.

"And that time we'll try and beat our personal record."


	20. For your grandchildren then

**For your grandchildren then**

At the City hall, the Mayor was anxiously looking out of his window. There had been no word from anybody. He had no idea of what had happened at the facility. He was anxiously awaiting any word from anybody. Not knowing whether anybody had survived pained him. Eric and Lucy were also with him. They had not had word of Richard and Rebecca's sacrifice. They had tried to get through to Richard and Rebecca but had had no luck. They hadn't had word from FoxFang and Cub either, not knowing that they were on their way now. Eric and Lucy were pacing around the room. They were anxious for any news. The mayor was still looking out of the window. He was anxious for news from FoxFang and Cub. He knew that it was for the city's benefit that they came back alive. He did understand the danger that they were facing and was beginning to regret authorising them to kill Caesar, as be was beginning to wonder whether that was making the situation harder than it should be. But now it was too late; the order had been given. He didn't know that Caesar was dead now. He walked away from the window and sat back down at his desk. Once he was sitting down, he slumped onto the desk and rested his head in his hands. He also looked at Eric and Lucy. They had stopped pacing and were trying to contact Richard and Rebecca again. All they heard was static and nothing else.

"There must be a reason why we can't contact them." Eric mumbled.

"Were you trying to contact Richard and Rebecca again?" The mayor asked. Eric nodded in response. "It would probably be easier and more beneficial to contact the foxes." The mayor continued.

"He's right. Let's try the foxes." Lucy nodded and was about to try to contact FoxFang when there was a sudden thump. Everybody in the room looked around the room to try and find the source of the thump. It came from the window. The mayor was the first to spot this though. He looked at the window and saw two dark figures at the open window. It was easy to realise who they were, since the figures had nothing to hide.

"So, you're back." The mayor greeted. FoxFang and Cub jumped down from the window and into the room. The two then walked past the desk and towards the centre of the room where Eric and Lucy were. It was only then that Eric and Lucy realised they were there. They both looked down at the knight toons.

"Where's your little fox?" Lucy asked.

"He was wounded in the battle. We left him at our hideout to recover." FoxFang replied. Cub looked towards the mayor. The look on the mayor's face told him that he was waiting for news about the recent fight.

"Caesar Feralo is dead mayor, just like you requested." Cub stated. The mayor nodded.

"What about everybody else? I gave an order to Richard and Rebecca to ensure that all of his men were killed." The mayor asked. At the notion of Richard and Rebecca, both FoxFang and cub turned deadly silent and remained still. They knew what had happened and were unsure as to how everybody would react to the news. Regrettably for them, they had to pass on Richard and Rebecca's message to the mayor.

"Mayor, they did ensure that all of Caesar's men were killed, but…" Cub was hesitating in his answer. Seeing the hesitation, FoxFang decided to finish the answer.

"There was a fire that was going to lead to an explosion. Richard and Rebecca ensured that Caesar's men were killed by preventing them from leaving. They were killed in the resulting explosion." FoxFang's head sank as she explained what had happened. Upon hearing the news, the heads of the mayor, Eric and Lucy sank as well. Now they understood why they could not get in contact with Richard or Rebecca; they were both dead. They had no idea that such a thing had happened. Suddenly, and without any explanation, Eric and Lucy left the room. They were clearly overcome with the sudden news. FoxFang and Cub were also having a hard time, even though they had gotten over most of the trauma. The mayor couldn't believe what he had heard. He didn't know Richard or Rebecca that well, but knew them well enough to know that they took their roles seriously. On that basis, he seemed less surprised than the others of the news. He still couldn't believe that it had happened though. This was because he never expected them to do something this drastic at such a time. However, it had been done now, and he knew that it would be fair to treat them as heroes.

"Sad news indeed. But there is nothing that can be done now. They died as heroes, and that is how they should be remembered." The mayor said. FoxFang and Cub nodded, agreeing with what the mayor had just said.

"Mayor, we shall go now." FoxFang said. She and Cub began to head to the window but before they could leave the mayor spoke again.

"Just one thing before you go." FoxFang and Cub turned around and looked at the mayor, who was now looking at both foxes.

"I have a request that I wish to ask of you." The mayor began.

"This time was an exception due to the situation, but we normally work alone." FoxFang stated, guessing at what the mayor was going to ask.

"I know. And that won't have to change. But I want to ask something of you." The mayor walked on next to FoxFang and Cub and then looked into the sky.

"I have two grandchildren growing up in this city. Well, one and an adopted one anyway…" Cub could feel his heart swell as he heard the mayor speak. He knew that the mayor meant him when he spoke, but the mayor was oblivious as to whom he was speaking to. Cub knew that there would probably be a bit of an outcry if the mayor knew the secret identities. "My son is a successful comedian, more than he knows. I want his children to be just as successful, but that can't happen if the city is dangerous. All I ask is that you work to create a safe city for my grandchildren to grow up in" The mayor continued. FoxFang and Cub cast half a glance at each other at each other as the mayor spoke. They knew who the adopted grandson of his was and FoxFang found the mayor's request ever so slightly ironic. They didn't say anything but at the same time, they knew that they had to agree to the mayor's request. FoxFang and Cub climbed onto the windowsill where they entered. They both then turned their heads to look at the mayor.

"For your grandchildren then." FoxFang said. With that, the two jumped from the window, used their grapple guns to grab hold of a railing and swung out of the mayor's sight in an instant.

* * *

While FoxFang and Cub were talking to the mayor, Plucky and Shirley had been preparing a small celebration. They were hoping that Jessica and Zach would be up for it, considering the night. Bugs and Lola were also present, since they wanted to congratulate their young heroine. They also couldn't sleep, not knowing whether Jessica would survive or not. Knowing that they were alive was a cause for celebration. They had been informed very briefly of what had happened, but hadn't been told the full extent. Shirley was going to leave that to Jessica, if she wanted to tell them. It wasn't very long after the party had been set up when FoxFang and Cub returned. The party was surprisingly small due to lack of availability of party foods. All they had was soda and a few snacks, but that was enough. Plucky was waiting with a glass of soda in each hand. They were going to be given to Jessica and Zach when they returned. The letter that Jessica had written just in case had been destroyed before Bugs and Lola had arrived, so a sudden sadness wouldn't descend. It wasn't long before the Fangmobile arrived. Plucky was standing a bit too close and his foot nearly got run over. He was able to leap out of the way without spilling any of the drinks he was holding. He waited as the Fangmobile opened. FoxFang and Cub removed their masks and the two of them jumped out of the car.

"How'd it go?" Plucky asked the moment Jessica and Zach were out, handing out their drinks at the same time. Jessica and Zach took their drinks and had a sip before answering.

"It went surprisingly well. Eric and Lucy just left in shock on hearing the news but the mayor seemed to see it coming." Zach replied.

"Were you guys organising a party again?" Jessica asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She could tell there was a party because they didn't usually have soda in the Foxcave. She didn't mind the idea of a party, since she had gotten over the shock of the experience now. Plucky let out a smirk at Jessica's question.

"You might say that we organised a party." Plucky replied.

"Aha, here's da heroes of da hour." A voice from behind Plucky said. It was a voice that Jessica recognised instantly. It was also a person she never expected to be present. She quickly finished her drink, put the plastic cup down and practically ran to where the voice came from. Sure enough, her father Bugs was waiting for her with open arms. Jessica immediately jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him down.

"Hi dad." Jessica greeted.

"How's my little fox-girl." Bugs asked teasingly.

"Tired, a little beaten and relieved." With that reply, Jessica hugged her father tighter. Plucky and Zach soon came over to the two. Zach was just as surprised as Jessica was about Bugs' presence.

"Hi Bugs." Zach greeted.

"Hi there Zach. Glad to be ok?" Bugs asked.

"I'm just glad that everything's over."

"The dip destroyed, the culprit defeated, now we can relax for a while." Jessica added from her father's arms.

"Eh Jess, who was the culprit? You never told me." Bugs asked.

"I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow. I don't particularly want to refresh the night so soon otherwise I'll have nightmares." Bugs' expression changed. He could tell from how Jessica had answered that what had happened was something quite stressful for her. He decided in his head not to ask anything else about it until the morning. Jessica climbed down from her father after finishing her hug with him.

"Dad, what are you doing here anyway? Jessica then asked.

"Me and your mudda couldn't sleep not knowing whether you'd be ok. So when we heard yous were all right, we came to have a small celebration." Bugs replied.

"So does that mean that Mum's here as well?"

"You bet it does." Jessica didn't need to be told anymore. She went on towards the computer as fast as she could. Lola was there. She had just finished setting up the small party and was now sitting down stroking King. King was still looking at his bandaged would but he had stopped licking at it. Jessica slowed down, knowing that rushing into Lola would not be a good idea, and walked over to her mother before greeting her with a hug. Egghead Jr. was still on the computer. He wasn't using it, but more sitting on the seat.

"Hi mum." Jessica said.

"Hi there Jessica. How did it go?" Lola asked.'

"We've just gotten back from seeing the mayor about the night. Don't worry, it's all over now."

"So the dip has been destroyed completely." Jessica wasn't surprised that Lola knew about the situation. She figured that either Bugs or Shirley had told her about it.

"Yes, it has been destroyed. Hopefully it won't be revived again."

"I hope so too." Jessica let go of her mother just as everybody else arrived. Shirley had been near the computer the whole time, not saying anything. She had just finished a moment of meditation. She came out, knowing of what was going on while she was meditating, and looked at everybody.

"Ok everyone, let's get this celebration underway." Jessica said

"YEAH!" Everybody except Egghead Jr. replied.

* * *

The small celebration ended far sooner than anyone wanted it to. It all ended when the food was all eaten and people began to fall asleep. Lola was falling asleep in particular, but Bugs was also beginning to feel a little sleepy. In fact, everybody was feeling a little sleepy. King had already fallen asleep on the floor and Egghead Jr. had fallen asleep on his chair. Eventually, his sleep was beginning to catch up to him. Bugs climbed to his feet and looked at Jessica and Zach, who were sitting next to each other with an arm around each other. They didn't show it, but they were tired as well as everyone else.

"Jess, I'd better take your mudda to bed now." Bugs said. Jessica looked up at her father with a smile.

"I can see why. That's fine. I'll probably stay here for a while until we're sure nothing will happen tonight." Jessica replied.

"Though I doubt it will." Zach added. Everybody who was awake just sniggered. Bugs put a hand on Lola's shoulder and gently shook her. He couldn't get her to the house without waking her up. It took a moment before she woke up.

"Come on Lo. We'd betta get you to bed." Bugs said. Lola gave a light yawn and then looked up at him. She was still half asleep and mumbled a little.

"Huh, uh o-ok." Lola managed to say. Jessica stood up from her position and walked over to her.

"Mum, you get to bed. You'll be able to sleep now that you know I'm safe." Jessica said.

"We'll see ya in da mornin' Jess." Bugs added.

"Goodnight dad. Goodnight mum."

"Goodnight Jess. I'll look forwards to hearing ya story tomorrow." With that, Bugs led Lola out of the Foxcave and to their route home. Once they were gone, Zach snuck up on Jessica and surprised her by grabbing her around the waist. She swivelled around in Zach's arms so she was now facing him. She then put her arms around his back.

"Zach, I am so glad that we made it out of that alive". Jessica said.

"I just wish we could say the same about Richard and Rebecca though." Zach replied. Jessica's head dropped a little.

"I know. I hope we're not asked to their proper funeral."

"I doubt we will because FoxFang and Cub are night creatures."

"Zach, I want you to promise me something."

"What Jess?"

"I want you to promise me that, no matter what the future throws at us, that you will always be by my side." Jessica hugged Zach tighter as she made her request. Zach also tightened his grip as well. He loved Jessica enough to keep that promise for now. It didn't take him long to say that to her.

"Jessica, I will always be with you. I promise you that." With that reply, Zach gave Jessica a kiss on the forehead. That was all the reassurance that Jessica needed. She planted a kiss on Zach's cheek.

"Thank you Zach." With that, Jessica closed her eyes, leaned in and gave Zach a kiss on the lips. The moment Zach felt the kiss; he closed his eyes and returned it. The kiss was more compassionate than any they had ever had before. They tightened their grip on each other and pulled each other into each other. The result made the kiss much more passionate. They stayed standing up throughout the whole kiss. They were enjoying the feeling so much they lost track of time completely. They only stopped to take a quick breather. After the quick breath, Jessica fell backwards slowly, bring Zach with her. It was a deliberate move so they could kiss more intensely. They kept on holding each other tightly and kissing, paying no attention to the position that they were in. They had been kissing for a grand total of 90 minutes by the time they ended, and that was only because Jessica nearly fell asleep. She was woken up when Zach rubbed her cheek with his hand.

"We'd better get to sleep now. We've had a hectic night." Zach said. Jessica nodded quite sadly.

"I just wish that these moments would last forever." Jessica replied.

"So do I Jess, so do I."

TH-TH-TH-THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

A/N: well, that's the end of the biggest FoxFang story so far. I thank everybody who read this story. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Don't worry, CatClaw will return in the future. I haven't decided on what the next FoxFang will be, so you'll have to wait and see.


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